


Twice Cursed

by SouthForWinter



Series: Finding Family [2]
Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-08-02
Updated: 2015-03-10
Packaged: 2018-02-11 10:46:09
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 52
Words: 95,743
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2065179
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SouthForWinter/pseuds/SouthForWinter
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Sequel to All That Follows. </p><p>Regina recast the curse in order to protect Storybrooke and everyone in it, but this time, things are different. As she works to keep her word and Henry's trust, she finds her connection to Annie woven into the curse in ways she never could have imagined. </p><p>The original curse had unexpected consequences, and as she learns the true horror of what she's done, Regina realizes her journey for redemption has only just begun.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> In the very slow process of moving all of my works over from ffnet one story at a time. I'll try to post a new chapter a day!

Regina sat up with a start. It was morning and the sunlight was filtering through the window, making her squint. She pulled the covers down and looked around her room, trying to process why this all felt so wrong.

 _‘It must be a dream,’_ she thought, remembering that the house was destroyed; none of this was real. It was then that she remembered she’d cast the curse again.

She jumped out of bed, immediately thinking of Annie and Henry. The curse hadn’t been carefully planned this time around, and she had no idea what to expect. Obviously, _she_ still remembered, but would she be the only one?

Hurrying to Henry’s bedroom, she called to him, “Henry? Henry?!” When she opened his door, he was sitting up, rubbing his eyes groggily.

“Mom? What’s the matter?”

Regina’s heart dropped like a rock. He didn’t remember. “Nothing,” she said, though the word sounded strangled. “Let’s get you some breakfast before school.”

He slid his feet over the side of the bed and stood up, shuffling toward her. “Do I have to? I’m still full from the first one, and I don’t really feel like eating.”

She stood completely still and silent, not daring to hope that she’d heard what she thought she had.

“Mom?” Henry got his own look of fear. “Please don’t tell me you don’t remember anything!”

Unable to say anything for the tears of relief that overwhelmed her suddenly, Regina bent to his level and wrapped her arms around him.

Henry laughed, relief setting in. “I’m so glad!” he said, returning the hug freely. “If I was the only one to remember, I don’t know what I’d do.”

Regina pulled back to look at him. Hazel eyes, brown hair, freckles. _Her_ son. And he was okay; he remembered everything. He was totally and completely _her_ Henry. She smiled and brushed a hand over his cheek.

“What’s going on?” A voice interrupted, coming from down the hallway and both Regina and Henry jumped.

“Annie?” Regina asked. They stepped into the hallway and Annie came out of the spare bedroom looking extremely confused.

“I just woke up here, but I thought this place was destroyed?”

“Yes,” Regina said. “But it looks like the curse worked. The house has been restored to its original state.”

“If the curse worked,” Annie looked down at herself, pulling down on the edge of her shirt, “then why am I here in my pajamas? And why do I have a room here?” She pointed to the door she’d just come out of. “I’ve been in this room before, but I’m pretty sure it never looked like that.”

Henry and Regina, both still barefoot and in their pajamas as well, walked into the room.

“Whoa!” Henry said.

Before, there had been only a bed, nightstand, desk and dresser; all generic, just as a spare room would normally look. Now, it was different; there was a colorful bedspread, posters and paintings on the walls, little knickknacks on the dresser and desk, and a few framed photos scattered throughout the room.

“Hey, what are those pictures of?” Henry noticed them first. “Is that us?”

Annie reached out for the nearest one. “Yeah. But this never happened.” Regina stepped up to look over her shoulder.

It looked like a recent photo. Annie and Regina had their arms around each other at the end of the table, both grinning. Henry was in between them with his arms out, gesturing excitedly. There was a cake on the table with lit candles. Judging by the number of them, it was Henry’s tenth birthday.

“That is so weird,” Henry said, coming over to look at the photo as well.” It was only me and mom celebrating, and who took this picture?”

“Seriously, Regina,” Annie said. “What’s going on? I don’t understand how this is possible.” She was looking at the rest of the photos; Regina and Henry at her graduation, another of the three of them at the local Miner’s Day celebration. The last photo her eyes fell on was on the nightstand by the bed. She walked slowly over, brushing her fingers over the glass as she picked it up.

It was a picture of her from when she was about ten; she barely recognized herself. In this picture, she looked happy, not something she’d ever truly been at that age. She was making a silly face, and Regina had her arms around her from behind, smiling widely.

Regina took the photo from her carefully. “The curse changed things,” she said softly. “It must have sensed certain things from me and made alterations.”

“But mom,” Henry said, confused. “You never knew Annie when she was that young.”

“Not in this world,” Regina said quietly. “But it built us a whole new life.”

“How come I don’t remember this?” Annie asked.

“This was how it was the first time,” Regina explained to them both. “When I cast the curse, I had no idea what was happening when I was brought here. Everyone else seemed to fit right in. They all had new memories of a life lived here – though they were foggy – and I didn’t. I had to learn everything. It was strange; having to pretend to understand a world that was so foreign.”

“Whoa,” Henry said again. “So, like, you had never seen cars or a TV or microwaves or anything?”

Regina chuckled. “No. They took some getting used to.”

“People must have thought you were so weird, not knowing how to use all that stuff. But, wait.” He looked between Annie and Regina. “How come Annie’s here _now_? She was only your assistant last time you cast the curse. And you’ve been _way_ nicer to her since you guys got back. Why?”

Annie looked to Regina to answer the question. She wasn’t sure how much Regina wanted to share.

Regina took a deep breath. “We should sit down to talk about this. How about we get dressed and then go down to the dining room?”

“Okay,” Henry agreed, racing back toward his room.

“Is it alright with you if I tell him?” Regina asked Annie.

“I guess.” Annie sounded hesitant. “I just thought that you didn’t want to tell anyone.”

“To keep you safe.” Regina smiled faintly. “I don’t think Henry’s going to be any danger, and it appears that the curse worked.” That was a thought that had been bothering her since realizing this was true; where was Cora? Did the lack of magic hinder her efforts to come through to this world? Regina had been through so much recently, she thought saving that worry for later wasn’t such a crime. She deserved a break, didn’t she? Besides, without magic, Cora wouldn’t be much of a threat. “We’d better get going. Henry’s going to beat us down there, and he’s not always the most patient person.”

Annie nodded as Regina left, but she couldn’t wait to spend more time exploring what was in her room. There were so many pieces here that belonged to a life she’d always wished she’d had. It would have to be later; Henry would be waiting.

* * *

 Sure enough, Henry was sitting at the dining room table, swinging his feet, tapping his fingers on the surface with barely contained impatience when they entered. He stilled immediately and sat up straight as they took seats across from him. He didn’t say anything, waiting for them to start.

“Henry,” Regina began. “In your book, was there anything about my past?”

“You mean, like, before you were Queen?”

“Yes.”

“Umm, not very much. You liked riding horses.”

“I did.” Regina nodded. “What it doesn’t tell you, is that there was a stable boy who worked for my family. He and his little sister came to live on the grounds when I was about sixteen. We became very close.”

“What were their names?” Henry was leaning in curiously. There really hadn’t been very much about his mother in the book from before she’d become the infamous Queen.

“Daniel and Annie.”

Henry looked at Annie, wide-eyed. “Are you the same Annie?”

“I am.”

“But I thought the curse changed everyone’s name? And wasn’t yours Rapunzel in the other world?”

“It’s a long story, Henry. I’ll tell you another time.”

 “So you knew my mom when she was younger?”

“Yes.”

Henry was sitting so far forward on his chair, he was nearly falling off. “What was she like?” He looked at his mom, who gave him a small smile. They hadn’t had a chance to talk about any of this since the curse had broken and she’d admitted to being the Evil Queen. He realized he really didn’t know very much about her at all. What he did know had come from the book, and that wasn’t a lot.

“She was the kindest person I’d ever met,” Annie told him. “When we first arrived at her family’s home, I’d just lost my parents.” She swallowed hard. Although it had been many years, those memories were still recent and it stung to remember them in such sharp and vivid detail. “Regina was the first person to make me smile again. She spent a lot of time with me and my brother, and we were very happy.”

“So what happened?” Henry knew that it must have been something bad. His mother surely would not have transitioned so easily from her younger self to what she had become.

Annie was staring straight ahead. She could see the scene playing out before her and it took the oxygen out of the air. She dug her nails into the palms of her hands, fighting the memory with all of her strength, but she couldn’t keep it away. The screams echoed in her mind and she found herself drowning in them.

She jumped as she felt Regina’s hand on her back, blessedly bringing her back to the present. “Breathe, Annie.” Doing as she was told, she gasped for air, not even realizing that she’d been holding her breath.

“My mother killed Daniel,” Regina finished quickly. She felt herself on the edge of breaking down again, which was not something she wanted. “—on the same night we were running away to be married. I was told Annie had died as well, in a terrible accident. I didn’t know she’d survived until we went back for her memories a few days ago.”

Henry found himself getting to his feet and going around the table to wrap his arms around Regina. “That’s really terrible, mom. I’m sorry.”

She gave him a quick squeeze, kissing his forehead.

“Is that when you married the king?” Henry asked innocently. “And why would your mom kill Daniel?”

Regina brushed his bangs back out of his eyes. “How about we save that for later? It’s hard to talk about, and you at least know about me and Annie now.”

Henry wanted to argue, but he could see that she was fighting tears, so he nodded. “Thank you for telling me.”

Regina cleared her throat. “We should get going; you’re going to be late for school.”

“Do I _really_ have to go?” Henry whined. “I want to find out what happened to everyone else.”

Regina sighed. “Alright, you can come with me today, but just for _one_ day.” She cut off his shout of joy by holding up a hand. “You’ll go back tomorrow, no arguments.”

He nodded vigorously. “Thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you!” he danced around happily, making Regina laugh.

“I’ll have to call Ms. Blanchard to excuse you, and then we can get going.”

Henry noticed how easily his mom could slip back into their old routines, as if nothing had changed. It worried him a little, but he pushed those thoughts aside, thinking instead about the day ahead. There was no telling how others had been affected, and he was anxious to go out and see.


	2. Chapter 2

They were halfway to Town Hall when they saw the Sheriff’s car parked outside of Granny’s.

“Mom, pull over, it’s Emma!”

Regina managed to stifle a look of annoyance as she pulled the car into the nearest parking spot. “We only have a few minutes, so let’s make it quick.”

They headed inside, but Emma was nowhere to be seen. Graham, however, was making his way toward them, a bag of food in his hands, the Sheriff’s badge clipped to his belt.

He stopped in front of them, shifting the bag to his other hand. “Hey, Henry,” he smiled. He turned his attention to Regina. “You’d better get over to Town Hall, Madame Mayor. Emma just called – said she’s been looking for you. The connection wasn’t clear, so I didn’t hear why, but it sounded important.”

“Thank you…Sheriff,” Regina said after a moment’s hesitation.

“You okay?” Graham asked. “You look a little pale.”

“I’m fine, dear, thank you. Just running a little behind this morning.”

“Alright, well, give me a call if there’s any trouble.” He squeezed past them and out the door.

Henry was staring after him, mouth hanging open. “The curse can bring back people who died?”

Regina didn’t respond. Probably better to leave Henry with that conclusion for now. “We should go find out what Emma wants.”

They made their way back to the car. After Henry buckled his seatbelt, he dove into his theories. “She probably wants to talk about the curse; how we’ll break it again. I bet she’s confused about Graham being back, too. She’s not Sheriff anymore, either. That’s probably weird.”

Regina wondered herself what Emma wanted. She saw the yellow VW beetle parked outside Town Hall, but Emma must have been inside because she was nowhere in sight.

Getting out of the car, Regina took quick strides toward the front entrance. Not knowing what Emma wanted was making her a bit nervous. Was she angry at Regina for casting the curse again? Surely she understood it was the only option?

Henry hurried to catch up and slipped his hand into Regina’s, Annie trailing not far behind.

When they got inside, Emma was pacing the floor. She looked up and saw them. “Finally – I’ve been waiting! Henry, shouldn’t you be in school?”

“Mom’s letting me stay with her today,” he said happily.

Emma gave Regina an odd look, but was too hurried to go any further than that. “Okay, but Regina, we need to talk.”

“Ms. Swan, if you have something to say, say it.”

“I don’t think this is something you’ll want Henry to hear.”

Regina glanced down at Henry, who was frowning, not liking the idea of being left out of another conversation. Still, she had no idea what this conversation would entail, so she nodded. “Henry, Annie, could you please give us a moment?”

“But, mom –”

“Only a minute, Henry.”

“Hey, Henry, how about we go hang out at my desk?” Annie asked.

He nodded sulkily, dragging his feet while following her.

Regina turned back to Emma. “Alright, what is it?”

Emma paced a few more times, looking as if she were thinking very hard about not speaking.

“Ms. Swan, would you just say it already?”

“I don’t really know how. Okay, well, this is awkward. I was out on my rounds this morning, and there was a woman wandering around town wearing, well, I don’t really know how to explain it. She was spouting nonsense, so I had to lock her up for now just to be on the safe side. But there was one thing – she was asking for you.”

Regina was staring at Emma. This woman could only be one person – her mother. Her mother was here. She suddenly felt ice cold. Through her shock, she also realized what it meant that Emma herself hadn’t come to that conclusion.

“You don’t remember?” Henry asked, stepping out from around the corner, where he’d been listening in.

Both women turned toward him, Regina with sadness in her eyes and Emma with confusion.

“Remember what?”

“Snow White or Prince Charming. Any of it.”

Emma looked caught off guard, glancing between a troubled Regina and Henry, who was growing more and more distraught by the minute. He never talked about any of this in front of Regina, which is what worried her. “I remember,” she said, confused, “but, Henry…” She gestured at Regina.

“It doesn’t matter anymore. Operation Cobra is over.” It was Regina’s turn to look confused, but Henry didn’t give her a chance to say anything. “You should go, mom. This sounds really important.”

She’d temporarily forgotten what this was all about and nodded, remembering her mother was sitting in a jail cell. “Ms. Swan, would you mind giving me a ride to the station? I’d like Annie to take Henry home.”

“But, mom—” Henry began to protest, but she cut him off with a wave of her hand.

“Ms. Swan?”

“Sure, okay…”

“Thank you.” She turned toward Henry who had his head down, looking at the tiles on the floor. “Henry—“

“I thought it would be different this time, but it isn’t! Nothing’s changed!”

Regina bent down to his level. “Yes, it has. Annie’s changed, and hey,” she pulled his chin up gently so that he was looking into her eyes. “Henry, I’ve changed, too. Things won’t be the same this time, I promise.”

“You do?”

“Yes,” and she suddenly knew this was true. Things _had_ changed; the curse didn’t seem as important now. “We’ll talk when I get home, okay? I’ll skip work and come straight home as soon as I’m finished with this.”

Henry nodded and wrapped his arms around Regina.

She gave her keys to Annie when she stood up and then looked at Emma. “Shall we go?”

“Uhh…yeah, okay.”

* * *

 

When they were on their way, it didn’t take long for Emma to start in on the questions.

“What the hell is going on, Regina?”

“To what are you referring, Ms. Swan?”

“Oh, come on. Don’t give me that crap. Something weird is going on. This strange woman shows up asking for you, you’re being semi-civil to me and, don’t take this the wrong way, but yesterday, Henry hated you. You set up Mary Margaret for murder, and he was going on and on about Operation Cobra and how you were the Evil Queen. Today, you’re being all nice to each other, as if none of it ever happened. Well, not none of it; you keep saying things like _‘this time it’ll be different.’_ So…what’s going on?”

Regina ignored everything, except, “What is Operation Cobra?”

Emma’s expression turned guilty. “I thought you knew. I mean, I assumed, since Henry mentioned it in front of you…”

“No, I don’t know what it is. Would you care to enlighten me?”

“I think it would probably be better coming from Henry.”

Regina was curious, but didn’t push the subject. There were bigger concerns at the moment.

“How long have you had this woman in a cell?”

Emma blinked at the sudden change of subject, but was grateful for it. “I don’t know. About forty-five minutes?”

“And you didn’t inform Sheriff Graham?”

“I tried, but there was a bad connection. I texted him right before you arrived, though, so he should know by now.” She focused ahead, driving quietly for a few moments, lost in thought, then turned to look at Regina. “You know who it is, don’t you?”

“Of course I don’t.” Regina’s tone was short and irritated, her eyes focused on the passing town out her window.

“Oh my God, Regina. Yes, you do. Didn’t Henry tell you I can tell when someone is lying? Who is she? Is she crazy? How do you know her?”

“Do you always ask this many questions?”

“Yes. You know that. Just like I know you always deflect to avoid answering.”

“So why bother asking?”

Without taking her eyes off the road, Emma unclipped her badge and held it up by one of the points on the star, waving it around. “It’s my job to ask questions, Madame Mayor.”

“I’m sure it’s purely professional – no hiding behind the job to dig up dirt on me.”

“I’m not.” Emma’s voice sounded a bit defiant.

“Of course, dear.”

“You’re one to talk about using a job to dig up dirt.”

“With reason. You don’t have the clearest history, and I was looking out for my son.”

“You were trying to drive me out of town.”

“It’s a shame it didn’t work, too. Things could have gone so differently.”

“So you admit it?”

“Of course I admit it. I also know there’s nothing you can do about it. You remember, I could still bring charges against you for breaking into my office.”

Emma’s mouth flattened into a tight-lipped grimace. She hated how easily Regina could steer a conversation whichever way she damn well wanted; no matter what Emma tried, that was always the result. Even after framing someone for murder, the mayor had an infuriating calm about her, never letting anyone rattle her cage. She barely even batted an eyelash.

Not wanting to give Regina anymore opportunities to flip the conversation, Emma reached up and flicked on the radio. Abrasive rock filled the car and Regina grimaced before reaching up herself to quickly shut it off.

“Nuh-uh,” Emma said loudly over the music, knocking Regina’s hand to the side. “The conversation may be over, but this is my car, my rules. You don’t want to answer my questions, we listen to music instead. That’s the way it is. Sooo….want to talk?

Regina huffed out a breath, crossing her arms and staring back out the window.

“Didn’t think so,” Emma muttered. The music covered the comment, but did nothing to hide the triumphant look of glee on her face.


	3. Chapter 3

Both Emma and Regina were grateful when they finally pulled up at the station.

Walking inside, Regina’s eyes immediately found the person in the cell. It was indeed Cora, as she’d expected. The suspicion, however, did nothing to soften the blow of actually _seeing_ her mother for the first time in almost forty years. Regina turned to Emma. “I could use a cup of coffee, Sheriff.”

Emma raised an eyebrow. “Regina, what is _up_ with you? I’m not the sheriff, and I’m certainly not an assistant.”

In response, Regina’s voice took on a sharp edge. “Ms. Swan.”

Emma put up her hands. “Fine, whatever – coffee.”

The second the door had closed behind her, Cora’s voice filled the room. “Regina, what _have_ you done to your hair? And what is that dreadful thing you’re wearing?”

“Mother. You haven’t changed a bit.”

“I must say, dear: of all the worlds to choose from, I’m surprised you decided on this one.”

“No magic. It’s a plus.” Regina didn’t allow her expression to change.

“No, I’m not sure about that. You took to your magic quite quickly. I don’t think you enjoy its absence any more than I do. I see you haven’t lost your authority, though; still ordering people around. I’m impressed by how well you do that. That girl, the blonde, seems very stubborn, and yet, she listens to you.”

Regina crossed her arms over her chest. “Mother, what do you want? You came to destroy me, but obviously, that’s no longer an option. So, why stay? Why not just go back?”

“You’re forgetting one thing, dear. When I came here, I was stripped of my abilities. Without them, I cannot return home.”

There was a sparkle in her eye that Regina didn’t’ like at all. “To Wonderland?” she spat. “Such a shame. What will they do without their faceless Queen? Tell me, how many even know that you took power? I’m sure at least some of them suspected something when Inari no longer showed her face. Surely a woman that vain would never hide behind a veil.”

Cora showed surprise which Regina could see she was trying to hide. “Yes, mother, I know who Inari is. You never mentioned I had two aunts.”

Cora pushed her emotion to the side.  “You look just like her, you know; beautiful. Unfortunately, it was a wasted beauty. She was intelligent, yes, but she didn’t have much common sense. Inari always acted rashly. I’m afraid you took after her in that, as well.”

Regina stiffened, but didn’t allow her mother the satisfaction of a reaction.

“Coffee, Your Majesty,” Emma said sarcastically, strolling into the room with a cup in each hand.

“Excuse me?” Regina narrowed her eyes.

“You know, the book, Henry’s thi— forget it. Geez, Regina, take a joke.” She handed Regina one of the cups of coffee, and made her way toward the cell.

“Henry?” Cora questioned with interest. Her eyes sparkled.

“Her –” Emma started, but Regina actually shouted over her.

“NOT something we need to discuss.”

“Yeah…okay…” Emma said awkwardly. “Anyway, I brought you a coffee.” She held the second cup through the bars, handing it to the strange woman.

Cora took a small sip and made an odd face. “What is this?”

“ _Coffee_ ,” Emma said again. “I know the station doesn’t have the best, but come on. It’s not _that_ bad.”

Cora had an expression on her face that Regina couldn’t read, and she didn’t like it. “Tell me, dear,” she spoke to Emma. “Just who is it that _you_ are? In _your_ world, I mean. I suppose my daughter has cursed you as well.”

Emma’s jaw dropped and she stared back and forth between the two before letting out a small, unsure laugh. “You’re her _mother_?”

“Was I unclear?” Cora asked with irritation.

“Nope. I can see it now.” Emma looked at Regina. “You never mentioned a mother.”

“No, and it’s none of your business, Ms. Swan.”

“What were you saying before, about my name in _my_ world?” she asked Cora.

“Nothing,” Regina said quickly. “As you said, she’s clearly not all there. It’s been a while since I’ve seen her.”

“They don’t know, do they?” Cora stepped closer to the bars, studying Regina as much as she could from that distance. “How…unexpected of you. Interesting choice. It certainly would be easier not to have any of them remember, but it would take some of the fun out of it, too, wouldn’t it?”

Regina was very tense, only slightly relieved by the fact that Emma was looking at Cora as if she’d lost her mind. “I’ll leave this to you, Deputy.” She put her hand on the door handle.

“If you leave her,” Emma warned, “she’ll have to stay in that cell until Archie can check her out. It could take awhile.”

Regina looked back at her mother, who was watching her with a sort of detached interest. It was no question where Regina had inherited the cold, indifferent mask that she so often wore. “Good. Call me when Dr. Hopper is done with her.”

As she was walked home, Regina still felt on edge. Cora could tell Emma all about the curse, but with no way to prove it, Emma would most likely think her crazy. That was another thing Regina found unsettling. The curse was back, and she’d easily found her stride. It was familiar, comfortable, safe. She found herself worried once again that someone would discover her secret and end it all. When she’d told Henry the curse didn’t matter to her anymore, she’d told the truth, but being back here reminded her of the chance she’d had at a happy ending. Her future had looked very bleak after everyone had remembered who they were. She knew that she’d keep her promise and find some way to break the curse, but she was in no hurry to do it. She was quickly realizing that on the other side, danger, loss and heartache were the only things waiting for her.


	4. Chapter 4

Mr. Gold was tapping his fingers on the counter, completely distracted. When he’d woken up this morning, there was no doubt the curse had worked. And yet, there was no Belle. No word from Regina, either. Something had to be done; actions would need to be taken.

He was so lost in his thoughts that he didn’t hear the bell on the door jingle as it was opened.

“Mr. Gold?”

He jumped slightly at the voice and looked up to see August watching him curiously.

“Ah, Mr. Booth. Is there something I can do for you?”

“It looks more like there’s something I could do for _you_.”

Gold tilted his head in question, so August continued. “It just looks like you have something on your mind.”

Pushing his cane firmly into the floor, Gold straightened to his full height. “You came to see _me_ , Mr. Booth. So unless you have something you need to discuss, I’d ask you to kindly leave my shop. I have work to do.”

August was silent for a moment. He’d debated coming to Gold at all, but had realized in the end that it was really only Gold that could help him.

“You designed the curse, didn’t you?”

“I did.” Gold leaned forward, interested to hear where this was going.

“So, you know a lot about it; how it works, why it works, how we might someday be able to go back to our world.”

Gold nodded, waiting for him to explain what it was he wanted.

“Tell me everything. I want to understand it.”

“Why would _I_ want to do _that_?”

“You want the curse broken as much as I do.”

Leaning back against the counter slightly, Gold silently contemplated what this could mean. August might not remember the events that had transpired since the curse had been broken. It was possible that he was now cursed just as everyone else was, and his memories had simply reset to before any of the experiences of this past week had taken place. Then again, he might very well remember _everything_ , in which case, he could be a danger to Gold. Yes, before, the curse breaking had been of no consequence to him, as he’d ensured that they would remain here in Storybrooke so that he could find his son. But things had now changed. He worried that if the curse was once again broken, they might be sent back, and all hope of ever finding Bae would be lost. For now, he would have to play along with August – whether he remembered or not – to at least have a chance of distracting him until he could accomplish the only goal he’d had since Bae had disappeared down that hole.

“I will tell you everything that I know – if,” he held up a finger, “you help me first.”

* * *

Mary Margaret was not having a good day. Emma had been called away early on some strange report, she was still dealing with the heartache that was David Nolan, and, to top it all off, she felt sick. It wasn’t a nauseous sick – it was more a deep feeling that something was wrong. She knew it must be the stress of everything that was happening, but it only added to the overwhelming sense that her life had careened out of control and there was nothing she could do about it.

She didn’t seem to be the only one having an off day. Regina had called earlier to excuse Henry from class. Something _very_ unlike the Mayor, and it only gave Mary Margaret something else to worry about. She knew that Mayor Mills would never hurt Henry, but after the realization that it was she who had been behind the disappearance of Kathryn, Mary Margaret couldn’t help the suspicion that something aside from Henry being sick had caused his absence today, and she didn’t like it.

Paige also had not been herself this morning. She’d been fidgeting in her chair all day, after having come late to class. She’d been looking at Mary Margaret and all of the other children strangely, and when Mary Margaret finally called for recess, the girl came running up to her.

“You don’t remember, do you?”

Mary Margaret frowned. Was there something going on today that she’d forgotten about? She couldn’t recall anything, but then again, with everything that had been going on, it wouldn’t surprise her to learn that she’d forgotten something.

“I’m sorry, Paige,” she said genuinely. “What was it I was supposed to have remembered?”

Paige’s face fell, but after a moment, she looked up again. “I was supposed to leave early today for an appointment I had. My parents signed a note and everything.”

Mary Margaret found it odd that Paige would look so disappointed at her having forgotten an _appointment_ , but she shrugged it off. “When did you give me the note?” She truly didn’t remember ever seeing such a thing.

“A few days ago.”

Well, that was right after she’d come back to teaching. It was possible she’d been so distracted that she’d misplaced the note and forgotten entirely about it. She pulled her phone out of her pocket.

“I suppose I can just call your parents to find out when they’re picking you up.”

Paige chewed nervously on her bottom lip as she watched her teacher dial the number. She was new to lying and by the looks of it, this lie was about to come to a crashing halt. After several seconds, however, Ms. Blanchard frowned and snapped her phone shut. “They’re not answering.”

“They’re probably waiting out front for me right now,” Paige said quickly. “I really don’t want to be late. Please, Ms. Blanchard.”

“At least let me walk you out,” Mary Margaret said, standing. As she did, though, Billy, one of her more unruly students, came through the door cradling his arm, tears on his face. She sighed. “Alright, go. But you’ll come back if they’re not out there?”

“I will,” Paige nodded. She felt bad about lying, but she couldn’t sit still the rest of the school day.

* * *

August was on his motorcycle, headed for the Mayor’s house. The favors that Gold had wanted from him seemed small, and it confused him why Gold would be willing to trade _all_ of his knowledge of the curse for the small tasks he’d given August. Surely Gold knew it wouldn’t take long for him to accomplish these things? Then again, he had no idea what this _favor_ was that Regina owed Gold. He hoped that whatever it was, Regina would be willing to cooperate. He needed to break this curse once and for all and find a way home.


	5. Chapter 5

Regina was halfway up the pathway to her house when August made his appearance.

“Could I talk with you for a minute?”

Regina started, not having heard him come up behind her.

“Sorry, I didn’t mean to startle you. I just wanted to catch you before you went inside.”

“What did you need, Mr. Booth?”

“Everyone keeps calling me that. Please, just call me August. And I’m actually not here for me. I’m on an errand for Mr. Gold.”

Regina arched an eyebrow. “Is that so? I’m curious: what did he need you to do that he couldn’t do himself?”

“He thought this was a better idea. He wants you to keep your end of the deal and for Belle to be released immediately. Him sending me was some kind of courtesy; I’m the warning, and if he sees you again before you’ve complied, there could be trouble.”

“Of course there could be.” Regina sighed, pressing her fingertips against her forehead. “I’d actually forgotten.” She looked up at the house with regret, knowing Henry was inside waiting for her. “Very well. Will you accompany me? I need you to do me a favor.” She knew that Belle could not be released without her authorization and physical presence, but afterward, August could easily take her the rest of the way to Gold. Seeing August’s hesitation, she added, “Please?”

He finally nodded.

“Thank you. I’ll meet you at the hospital.”

* * *

Henry watched his mom making her way up the path from the window next to the door. Annie was standing not far behind him. They’d been talking; mostly Henry telling her everything about the times he’d spent with Emma. She knew that these memories were ones that Emma would still possess, as they’d all taken place before the curse had been broken, but she listened anyway. It seemed to make him feel better. He’d been upset that after everything the pair had been through together, they’d ended up exactly where they’d been before. He was frustrated and upset. Which is why they were both grateful to see Regina heading toward the house. Things could finally be explained and Henry would have the answers he so desperately wanted.

Before Regina could reach the house, however, someone approached her. They appeared to be having a conversation; one that Regina didn’t seem to be enjoying.

“It’s August,” Henry said. “What do you think he wants? He never talks to my mom.”

“I don’t know, Henry.”

Regina looked back at the house, and for a moment, Henry almost thought she saw him. A moment later, though, she looked back at August, nodding and they turned away.

“Where are they going?” Henry asked. “She said she would come home, not do any work.”

“It must be something really important,” Annie told him. “She wouldn’t lie to you. August must need something urgent from her.”

“I can’t believe she’s leaving!” Henry exclaimed. “She says she’s changed, but she can’t even keep a _small_ promise! How is she supposed to keep the one about breaking the curse?!” He ran quickly up the stairs.

“Henry—” Annie tried to follow, but halfway up the stairs, she heard his door slam shut. Suddenly exhausted, she plopped down on the stairs to wait. It was obvious that the only person who’d be able to fix this would be Regina.

* * *

Regina was grateful to be back in her own car. Driving had been a strange thing to adapt to, but now that she was used to it, she knew she’d miss it if she ever stopped.

It didn’t take long at all to get to the hospital. She found herself suddenly wondering on the drive over if August remembered. Sure, he was running errands for Mr. Gold, but that didn’t mean anything. The thought that he might remember nagged at her and she decided she’d make it a point to ask him as soon as possible.

He’d beat her there, and it wasn’t hard to spot him in his dark leather jacket standing out front.

“Follow me,” she said, walking past him at a brisk pace. She was anxious to get this over with and she knew Henry would be waiting.

As he matched her stride, Regina looked over to August. “Do you…do you remember the last week?”

He looked up at her quickly, surprise on his face. “Yes. I didn’t expect you to ask, though.” He saw her face fall and he nodded. “And that’s why. You don’t want me to remember. Were you hoping that if no one remembered, you wouldn’t have to break the curse and you could stay here forever?”

Regina frowned. “I’m disappointed you remember, but not for the reasons you might think.” She gave a heavy sigh. “This is going to be hard to explain to Henry.”

“You mean, Henry remembers?” August asked hopefully.

“Yes.”

August smiled. “That’s great! Anyone else?”

“So far, just him, Annie, you and Gold. But I haven’t run into very many people.”

“Emma…?” he questioned hesitantly.

Regina shook her head. August stopped walking, affected more by that answer than he’d expected. He and Emma had come a long way in the past week, and to know that she no longer possessed those memories hurt; a lot.

Noticing the pained expression on his face, Regina spoke. “I’m sorry. I didn’t know the two of you were that close.”

He nodded tersely and started walking again.

“I think it’s my fault that she doesn’t remember,” Regina said after a moment.

August looked at her. “I’m surprised you care if Emma remembers or not.”

“You don’t understand,” Regina said sadly. “Henry was crushed to find out about Emma, and now I have to tell him that it’s my fault.”

“How do you know?”

They stopped at a door with a keypad and she turned to look at him. “I wasn’t sure before, but when you said you remembered, I knew. For the most part, everything went back to the way it was the first time. If Emma doesn’t remember, it must have been something the curse sensed from me. Some desire for her to not know.” She looked down at her feet, thinking about what she would tell Henry.

“You don’t have to tell him,” August said, as if reading her thoughts.

“Yes, I do,” she said sadly. “He’d suspect it anyway, and it would only make things worse if I lied.”

“You really are going to break the curse, aren’t you?” August asked, studying her.

She shifted uncomfortably under his gaze. “I am. I’m not sure when it will be safe, but I do plan on it.”

August gave her a genuine smile and stepped back to allow her easy access to the keypad.

She put in her code and pushed open the door. The nurse behind the counter greeted the mayor and looked curiously at the visitor tagging along.

“I’m here to see to the release of our patient.”

“What?”

“You heard me. I’ve come to take her home.”

The nurse looked at her in disbelief but hurried to find the correct paperwork. She pushed the stack of papers in front of Regina. “You’ll need to sign these.”

Regina quickly flipped through the pages, signing all of the necessary documents. The nurse handed her the key and muttered, “Good luck.”

They made their way down the hallway, August trailing behind her uncomfortably, warily eyeing all the doors they passed.

Regina tried not to cringe as they passed the door labeled S. Glass. Finally, they stopped in front of Belle’s door. Not wanting to drag anything out, Regina made quick work of unlocking and opening it.

Belle was once again curled in the corner. She raised her head, shrinking back slightly at the sight of her weekly visitor.

“Come on,” Regina said softly. “You’re getting out of here today.”

The girl didn’t budge. She didn’t even blink.

“It’s alright,” Regina encouraged. “I’m telling the truth.”

They watched as she slowly straightened and stood up, approaching them cautiously. Regina slowly put a hand on Belle’s shoulder, carefully guiding her out of the cell. She looked her up and down. “We’ll have to get you cleaned up before you see Gold.”

Belle shook her head in confusion.

“He’s the man who’s going to take care of you,” Regina told her gently. She kept her hand on her back, steering her down the hallway back toward the entrance.

She pointed her in the direction of the showers and said, “I’ll get you a fresh set of clothes.”

The nurse was only able to come up with a nurse’s uniform, but it was better than what Belle was currently wearing. Regina took it into the showers to see Belle already finished, wrapped in a towel, shivering. “Here.” She set the folded outfit down with a hairbrush on top and walked out.

Belle re-emerged about ten minutes later looking fresh and slightly rejuvenated.

They all walked together to the hospital entrance in silence. People stared as they passed, wondering who the stranger walking with the mayor was.

When they reached the door, Regina paused, once again addressing August. “I was wondering if you would stop by the house when you’re finished? I think Henry would enjoy it if you could talk with him.”

August nodded. “I will.”

Regina slowly moved her eyes to Belle. “I know that I will never be able to fix this. For what it’s worth – I’m sorry.”

She didn’t give Belle a chance to respond, leaving them at the entrance and walking quickly to her car. This day wasn’t shaping up to be an easy one.


	6. Chapter 6

Emma watched Cora – she’d finally learned her name – from her desk. What unnerved her was that the woman was watching her back. In fact, she really hadn’t taken her eyes off of her since Regina had left. Now that she knew this was Regina’s mother, she could see the resemblance.

“I think I’m going to have fun guessing who you’re supposed to be,” Cora said suddenly, making Emma jump.

Emma set down the sandwich she had been about to take a bite of with some annoyance. “Lady, what are you talking about?”

“The curse, of course.” She smiled wickedly, enjoying the fact that no one remembered and she could toy with them. “You know, the one my daughter put on all of you.”

She knew that the woman was speaking nonsense, but Emma still felt unsettled. “Did you talk to Henry?” she asked. She hurriedly searched her mind for a time when she would have had him alone, and no one would have noticed. “How long have you been here?” But that couldn’t be right. Even if she’d had the chance, Henry wouldn’t have told a stranger about the curse, especially if he knew she was the mother of the supposed Evil Queen. None of it made any sense, and that bothered Emma. Not just the thought of this woman maybe having talked to her son, but because she felt strongly that there was something she should be remembering.

“Oh, not long, dear. I’m fairly new.” Emma had almost forgotten she’d asked the question. “But there’s that name again; Henry. Tell me about him.”

Emma kept her mouth shut, not wanting Cora to know anything about Henry, especially after the way Regina had acted. Without a word, she picked up the phone and dialed Archie’s office. He picked up after only a few rings.

“Hey, Archie, it’s Emma.”

“Oh. Hello, Emma. As I told you earlier, I’m sorry, but I have a lot of other appointments today. I’m just not going to be able to make it over there until much later.”

“That’s okay,” Emma told him. “I was actually calling to say there’s no rush. Take your time.” She glanced up at Cora, who was watching her with an amused smirk, as if she found it funny that Emma was suddenly concerned about releasing her. It made the hair on the back of Emma’s neck stand on end. “In fact, if you don’t get to it today,” she added, “that’s fine.”

“Are you sure, Emma? I might be able to shift some things around and –”

“No, I’m sure. Really, it’s okay.”

“Alright, well I’ll let you know.”

“Thank you, Archie.”

“You’re welcome, I suppose.”

Emma hung up without further conversation. Thankfully, she was saved from any more discussion with the prisoner as well when Graham made an appearance.

“Graham, you take over, I’m gonna go out for a while.”

He stared at her as she grabbed her jacket and made her way to the exit. “Emma, you forgot your lunch,” he said, glancing at the abandoned sandwich on the desk.

“You can have it,” she tossed over her shoulder. “I lost my appetite.”

* * *

This time, Regina made it all the way up the pathway without interruption. She opened the door to find Annie sitting on the stairs with her knees tucked up under her chin. She looked up at Regina and answered the unspoken question. “He’s upstairs.”

Regina nodded her thanks, squeezed Annie’s shoulder as she passed and made her way up to Henry’s room. The door was shut and Regina stood staring at it for a moment. She wasn’t sure she could face what was waiting. She and Henry had been through so much lately, and though she knew he’d expressed his love for her, she recognized it was no longer unconditional and they were on shaky ground.

Finally, she brought her hand up and knocked softly on the door. “Henry?”

There was only a muffled “hmm?” from the other side, so she asked, “May I come in?”

Another unintelligible noise came, but it didn’t sound like a no, so she cautiously pushed open the door.

Henry was curled up around his pillow on the bed. It was clear that he’d been crying, though now he looked eerily calm. “You said you’d come straight home when you were done at the jail.”

He must have seen her approach, she realized, before she’d been called away by August.

“Henry, I’m so sorry. There was something I had to do.”

“I was waiting for you.”

She wanted to reach out and comfort him, but she knew it wasn’t the right move right now. He wouldn’t appreciate the gesture. “I know,” was all she could say. “But August reminded me there was another promise I’d made that I needed to keep.”

Although Henry was curious to know what promise that was, something else interested him more. “Does that mean…” he couldn’t bring himself to ask or hope. The disappointment of Emma’s memory loss had been too great.

“Yes, Henry. August remembers.” She hoped that would cheer him up a bit, and it seemed to. He sat up and looked at her.

“He does?”

“Yes.”

Henry frowned. “That means that everything should have gone back to the way it was. You wanted Annie to remember, so she does, which means that you didn’t want Emma to remember. This is your fault!” he accused angrily.

“I know,” Regina said sadly. “I’m so sorry, Henry.”

Henry blinked, surprised to hear her admit it. The surprise, however, quickly turned back into anger. “Why?” he yelled. “Why did you have to take her memories? Why couldn’t you have just let her remember?”

Regina noticed the tears that had escaped during his rant, and she couldn’t stop her own from falling. “I didn’t do it on purpose,” she told him earnestly. “I was just thinking about how, without the curse, you had a family. Emma, Snow, James. They would never have let me keep you. With the curse, they’d all forget. They’d forget who I am, what I’ve done, and I would be free to raise you, just like I have your whole life.” Her voice cracked and Henry looked at her sadly. “You’re _my_ son, Henry. I love you. I was thinking so hard about it that the curse must have thought I was asking for Emma to forget. I don’t know, maybe I was. But I didn’t mean to. Henry, I would never do anything to hurt you purposefully. You have to know that,” she begged him. She felt like they were back in that hospital room. She’d told him she loved him and he’d simply stared at her. He was doing the same thing now.

“I know Snow wanted to take me away, but I never thought about what would happen if they really did take me away.” He looked up at her. “Mom, I’m sorry.” He leaned into her and to her great relief, wrapped his arms around her waist. “I want to be able to see my family and spend time with them, but I want to stay with you.”

“You do?” Hearing those words made Regina so happy, she wondered if she hadn’t imagined them.

“Yeah. You’re my mom. When the curse breaks again, I’m going to tell them that. Do you think they’d let me, if I asked?”

“I don’t know, Henry,” she told him honestly, but he could see the doubt in her expression.

He was silent for a moment before he buried himself back into her arms, making his next words muffled. “I know why you don’t want the curse to break. This sucks.”

Regina couldn’t help but laugh a little. “Yes, it certainly does.”

Henry finally pulled back. “Mom?”

“Yes, Henry?”

“Last time, Emma knew about the curse before it broke, right? Like when she fought the dragon?”

Regina nodded.

“So, if she knew about it, how come it didn’t break?”

“I think she had to actively break it. Simply knowing about it wasn’t enough.”

“So, if she remembered again, the curse would be okay until we _tried_ to break it, right?”

“I suppose so.”

“Well then, since you know I want to stay with you, can we tell Emma? Try to make her remember? Maybe she can even help us know when it’s safe to break the curse again.”

Regina saw how his eyes brightened at the idea, and she couldn’t deny him that happiness. “Alright. We can try to get her to remember.”

“Yes!” Henry put his arms in the air. “This is like Operation Cobra, only way better, because now you’re on our side.”

“Henry, what is Operation Cobra?”

He deflated slightly, not wanting to hurt her feelings. “It was from before. When I thought you were evil.” He looked down. “I was trying to get Emma to remember so she could break the curse. Operation Cobra is what we called it so you wouldn’t find out.”

“I see.” It upset her to hear him say it, but she’d suspected that’s what it was going to be. “Who was in on it?”

“Just me, Emma, August, and Archie.”

She raised an eyebrow when she heard the last two. Yes, Archie was someone Henry had confided in, but to that extent? She’d had no idea. And she was going to have to find out more about August.

“Are you mad?” Henry asked cautiously.

Regina realized that while thinking, she’d been frowning. She gave him a small smile. “No, I’m not mad,” she assured him, rubbing a hand down his shoulder. “In fact, I invited August over to talk to you. He should be here soon.”

“Really?” Henry asked eagerly.

In answer, the doorbell rang and Henry jumped off the bed, racing to answer it. He skidded to a halt behind Annie, who’d reached it first and was surprised to see, not August, but Grace, standing in the doorway.

“Hey, Henry. Is your mom home?”

He nodded, confused, and stepped away to let her in. Annie shut the door behind them as Regina came down the stairs. A look of shock came over her face as she saw who was standing in the entryway next to Henry. “Grace?”

She nodded. “Yes, Your Majesty. I need your help.”


	7. Chapter 7

Regina was still staring in shock as Grace started to speak so quickly, she was nearly tripping over her words.

“I remember everything! I woke up this morning and I was confused and couldn’t remember what happened, and then I thought maybe I’d dreamed about it, but then I remembered!” She breathed in quickly before rushing on. “And I knew my parents don’t remember because they were acting like nothing had changed, and when I got to school, Ms. Blanchard and all the other kids were acting like everything was normal, but Henry, you weren’t there, so I figured you remembered everything, so I told Ms. Blanchard I had an appointment and I left and came here, and now I need your help to find my dad so that he won’t be worried and he knows I’m okay.”

Regina had reached the bottom of the stairs by this point and stood silently, processing everything Grace had said. She was wondering how it was that Grace remembered everything. The only possibility that made any sense was that, at the well, before she’d released the curse, she’d been thinking about her hope that Henry would remember. Really, how a child should not be stripped of their memories. That somehow must have carried over to Grace. Although, because most of her focus had been on Henry, Grace had still ended up with her fake parents instead of with Jefferson. However it had happened, Regina knew Grace was right about one thing: If he didn’t find Grace, Jefferson would be worried. Most likely to the point of lashing out at Regina, which was not something she needed to have added to her plate. “Alright, I’ll take you to him.”

“Thank you!” Grace cried, throwing her arms around Regina. “I knew you’d help.” She beamed at Henry, who smiled back.

“Hey, mom?” he asked. “Can I come, too?”

“I don’t see why not. Annie, why don’t you come as well? We can pick up some lunch on the way home.”

“Okay.” Annie picked up her jacket which had been hanging conveniently in the hall closet. Living in this house was going to take some getting used to.

As they were pulling the door shut, someone said, “Annie.” She glanced up at Henry.

“Yeah?”

Henry looked at her, and then around himself, as if looking for the person Annie was talking to. When she continued to look at him intently, his features expressed his confusion. “I didn’t say anything.”

“You didn’t say my name?” she asked.

“Noooo.” Henry looked at her strangely.

She shook her head. “Huh, I thought I heard someone calling my name. I must be imagining things.”

“You’re probably just going crazy,” Henry told her in a serious tone, but he was barely containing a smile.

Annie laughed and nudged him as they walked to the driveway.

“Hey!” Henry exclaimed, laughing and stepping back onto the path.

“That’s what you get for calling me crazy.”

They looked up to come face to face with August.

“August!” Henry launched himself at him, wrapping his arms tightly around him.

“Whoa,” August laughed, trying to regain his balance. “Hey, buddy.”

“I’m so glad you remember!” Henry said excitedly, stepping back. “I was worried that I was the only one left from Operation Cobra.” Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed his mom’s shoulders sag a bit, so he went on quickly. “Except we have a new member now. Mom’s helping!”

“She is, is she?” August looked at Regina with amusement. “Converting from the dark side to join the Jedi Knights and use the force for good?”

Henry giggled at the reference made solely for his benefit.

“Something like that,” Regina replied, her eyes brightening again, though she didn’t quite smile. “I’m sorry. Grace stopped by and I completely forgot you were coming…”

“It’s alright,” August told her. “I can come back later, if that’s okay.”

Regina nodded. “How’d it go?” she asked quietly.

Annie gave her a questioning look but Henry asked the question aloud. “How’d _what_ go?”

Regina looked uncomfortable, so August saved her. “Just a small favor your mom had me do for her, and it went fine.” The last part was directed at Regina.

She gave him a grateful look and cleared her throat. “We might be awhile on this errand, and I don’t want to keep you waiting. Would you like to just join us for dinner this evening? We could eat and then you and Henry would have a chance to talk.”

“Yeah!” Henry added. “Come on August! We can start planning out how we’re going to get Emma to believe this time.”

August smiled. “Well, how can I refuse? I’ll be there.”

“We eat at 6:30,” Regina told him.

Already halfway back to his bike, August looked over his shoulder. “I won’t be late.”

Everyone waved and climbed into the Mercedes.

“Who is _he_?” Grace asked curiously. “I mean in our world?”

“Pinocchio,” Henry said happily.

Grace shook her head. “That’s impossible, Henry.”

“No, it’s true. I saw him turning back into wood myself,” Henry told her. “Just before the curse broke.”

“How? I’ve heard of the puppet who became a real boy, everyone has. But Henry, he was the same age as _me_. August isn’t.”

“No, but he wasn’t cursed like all of you.”

Regina looked at the two kids in the back seat. Henry’s face still lit up when he got to tell people stories about the fairy tales he’d read and what he’d learned.

“He came through the wardrobe with my mom,” Henry continued. “He was supposed to take care of her and help her understand the curse and her role in it, but he was just a kid. This world is more complicated for kids. That’s what he told me.”

“Wow,” Grace said. “And her parents trusted him to take care of her?”

“Not exactly.”  He explained the story surrounding Emma’s arrival in this world.

They weren’t far from Jefferson’s at this point. Regina hoped he was home. She wanted to have Grace back at the school before anyone started to wonder where she’d been.

* * *

Jefferson heard the car pulling up in front of the mansion and opened the front door to see who it was. He wasn’t surprised to see Regina’s black Mercedes at the base of the steps. What he hadn’t expected was for Grace to throw open the back door and run to him.

“Papa!”

“He swung her around. “Oh, my Grace!”

“I’m going to have to take her back, Jefferson,” Regina said regretfully, climbing the stairs.

“What?! Why?” he asked, setting Grace down and narrowing his gaze angrily on Regina.

“I’m sorry, that’s just the way it worked out. I didn’t plan it.”

“No, you didn’t,” he hissed, taking a step into her personal space. “Once again, you’ve separated me from my daughter.”

“Papa, don’t! I’m right here!” Grace cried, pushing herself between the two. “It’s not her fault! The important thing is that I remember. This isn’t forever; just until the curse breaks again. It won’t be very long. We can still see each other.”

“How?” Jefferson asked sharply. Grace took a step back toward Regina, slightly frightened, which only angered Jefferson further. “My daughter has _fake_ parents. Are you just expecting me to waltz up to them and say, ‘Hello. I’m your daughter’s _real_ father. She belongs with me.’ I don’t think that will work out very well,” he said, voice laced with sarcasm. “So tell me, Regina,” he spat, stepping forward again. “How am I supposed to spend time with my daughter?”

Recognizing the man her father had become after they’d first been reunited, Grace stepped all the way back, leaning against Regina who put an arm protectively around her. “You won’t if you keep acting like _this_. Jefferson, you’re scaring her.”

Realizing what he was doing, Jefferson stepped back, but the anger in his eyes didn’t fade.

“Jefferson,” Regina tried again. “As Grace said, this is only temporary. _No one_ plans on having the curse last very long. In the meantime, we can figure something out. You can volunteer at the school or maybe I can work it out so that Grace helps me out around the office for some school project and you can have time with her there.”

Jefferson looked at her doubtfully. She’d played so many tricks on him over the years, how would he know this wasn’t just another way to toy with him? “Are you telling me the truth?”

“I am.”

He looked deeply into her eyes and saw a sincerity there that he hadn’t seen since they were children.  He reached his hand out to Grace. “We should make the most of our time together, then. Have you had lunch yet?”

Grace shook her head.

“Well, we have time before school is supposed to let out for the day, don’t we?”

“Yes.” Grace glanced behind her at the three people waiting. “But, papa – can’t they eat with us?”

Jefferson stopped walking and looked down at his feet, biting back the words that popped into his head. “Alright.”

They all followed the pair into the house. “We have visitors,” Jefferson called when they were all inside. Regina gave him a curious look, but her question was answered a moment later when Maleficent appeared from one of the rooms. It took a moment for Regina to recognize her, as Maleficent now had a completely different appearance. She wore dark pants with a flowing purple top – a very modern and put-together look. Her pile of curls was pulled into a high ponytail so that it was back away from her face.

“Maleficent,” Regina said in surprise.

“Hello, Regina,” Maleficent greeted her. “I’m sure you weren’t expecting to see me. I’ve been staying with Jefferson, since I’m trapped here like the rest of you.”

Truth be told, Regina had forgotten Maleficent was still in Storybrooke. With the curse, her mother and dealing with Gold, it wasn’t hard. She wasn’t sure if she felt more relieved or more on edge. On the one hand, Maleficent obviously had some kind of knowledge from wherever she had been. She’d known that Regina was going to do what she did, she knew a way to get around it, and she’d known about Annie. That was the most puzzling. On the other hand, Maleficent had to be beyond angry with Regina for what she’d done. And she had been powerful enough to cheat death. Her power had obviously grown since the last time they’d met. Anger and power never mixed well. Regina knew that firsthand; a lifetime of mistakes and regrets were proof enough for anyone.

This lunch was going to be interesting.


	8. Chapter 8

Regina was shown to the kitchen by Jefferson. There was a rigid silence the whole way and it continued as he began pulling things angrily out of the cupboards.

“There’s obviously something you want to say to me, Jefferson.” Regina started. “We’re alone now, so why don’t you just go ahead and say it?”

He paused his actions and turned to face her. “What did you tell Grace to make her trust you?” There were so many things he wanted to ask – to discuss – but this was what had been bothering him the most.

Regina looked surprised. “You mean, she didn’t tell you?”

“She refused. She said she made you a promise and that she had no intention of breaking it, but that it wasn’t bad. So tell me, Regina. What lies did you tell my daughter?”

Regina smiled. She was pleasantly surprised that Grace had kept her secret. It wasn’t something she’d expected from the young girl. She then looked at Jefferson seriously. “I told her the truth, about how we used to be friends. I told her I knew her mother.”

Jefferson thought back to that time when they’d all been so happy. Traveling to different worlds together, and later when they’d grown older, simply spending time in each other’s company.

“Thank you,” Jefferson said sincerely. “For making sure my daughter was well-cared for.” The words did not come easily.

Regina stared at Jefferson. A thank you had been the last thing she’d anticipated. It only added to the guilt she felt at having left Jefferson behind in Wonderland. She remained silent, moving her eyes down to study her fingers twisting at her sides. “Jefferson,” she started, “I…I’m—”

“No.” Regina looked up quickly. She’d been about to apologize, but Jefferson was shaking his head. “Not yet. Just tell me one thing.”

She stayed silent, but nodded.

“Was our friendship important to you?”

Putting all of her sincerity into the words, she looked directly at him. “More important than anything.” There was a thick layer of sadness in her words and Jefferson swallowed hard before he could speak again.

“Then we can move past this, eventually. I have a lot of things I want to talk about, but things are still too fresh. Being separated from Grace—”

“I understand,” Regina stopped him. “We’ll talk after the curse is broken.

He nodded. “We should get to work on these sandwiches,” he said, coming back to the present. “We don’t have much time before school is out.”

* * *

With nothing else to do, August ended up at Granny’s for lunch. It had been a strange day, and the day was only half over! He’d formed an odd alliance with the Queen. That had been unexpected. As had her outpouring of feelings in regards to Henry. He hadn’t known what to say. Emma had said that Regina truly seemed to be changing, but she’d only known the mayor. Picturing the Evil Queen as a kinder, softer woman was nearly impossible for a child who’d grown up in the Enchanted Forest. One of the first things you learned was, stay away from the Evil Queen. Seeing the change himself was a truly bizarre experience. Perhaps having Henry in her life had changed her. And now, here he was having dinner at her house tonight! Ha, that would be something to tell his father.

When the bell on the door jingled, August looked up from his plate and his thoughts to see none other than Emma Swan walking through the door. She scanned the diner, and, seeing him, seemed to relax slightly. She walked toward him and the way she was acting, he almost forgot she didn’t remember.

“Boy, am I glad to see you!” she said, plopping down across from him and pulling off her gloves. She rubbed her hands together to warm them as Ruby came over to take her order.

“Actually,” Emma headed her off, “just hot chocolate today.”

“Sure.” Ruby smiled. “One hot chocolate, extra cinnamon, coming up.”

“Thanks, Ruby.” Emma planted her forehead on the table before suddenly sitting up and looking at him. “I’m sorry, I didn’t even think…you don’t mind if I join you, do you?” She seemed flustered.

“Of course not.”

“I don’t even know what’s happening today! I keep getting these weird feelings, like I’m forgetting something really important, and just now, I sat down because I saw you and I felt like…I don’t know...” She laughed. “I sound crazy right now, don’t I?”

August gave her a wide smile. “Not at all. I’d like to think we’ve come to a point where you can join me, no questions asked. So what’s going on; you came here to find me? You didn’t order anything to eat. Skipping lunch – that’s not like you.”

“Not hungry.” She saw the disbelieving look on his face. “It was a rough morning. Henry was acting all weird. Actually, so was Regina…” she trailed off, her thoughts rushing forward, but she snapped back a minute later, shaking her head. “And then I had to deal with this creepy woman who turned out to be Regina’s mother.” She blew a strand of hair out of her face, not noticing August’s expression, and sighed. “It’s just been a bad morning all around and I’ve temporarily lost the desire for food.” She finally looked up and noticed August’s vacant stare. “Oh, come on, August,” she whined. “Everybody else has already been acting weird, not you, too?!”

“Does she know?” he asked.

“Umm, who?”

“Regina – that her mom’s in town.”

“Yeah,” Emma shrugged. “They talked this morning.” She narrowed her eyes. “Why do you care?”

“No reason.” August was saved from further questioning when Ruby set the mug of hot chocolate in front of Emma.

She blew on it to cool it off and then took a sip. “Mmmm,” she sighed, sinking back into the booth and closing her eyes.

“That good?” August laughed.

“Mm. I would have ordered something stronger, but I’m technically still on duty.”

“Ahh.” August leaned back. “The life of a sheriff.”

Emma sat up straight. “What?!” He was the second person to call her sheriff today and it struck that same bothersome memory of something she couldn’t quite piece together.

“What?” August asked innocently, not understanding what he’d said.

“Graham is sheriff, not me. Deputy, remember?”

“Right,” August said slowly, remembering that Emma had not always been the sheriff of Storybrooke.

Normally, she would have laughed at his behavior and made a joke at his expense, but not this time. She couldn’t understand what was bothering her so much.

“What time do you get off today?” August asked, changing the subject.

“Five. Although, with the way today’s going, who knows? Why?”

“I don’t know. You just seem like you could use a good walk. And good company never hurts.”

She looked at him strangely, wondering how he had known. “Yeah, a walk would be good. But why wait? I’m not doing anything right now, and it’s not like someone can’t reach me on my cell. Let’s go.” She started putting her gloves back on.

August glanced at the still half-full cocoa on the table. “Right now?”

“Yeah,” she confirmed. “No time like the present.”

He chuckled and dropped some money on the table, nodding to Ruby across the diner. “Lead the way.”


	9. Chapter 9

Lunch was surprisingly civil despite the conflict that existed between the adults present. Annie, having recognized Jefferson the first moment she saw him, wanted to say something, but didn’t want to interrupt the time he had with his daughter. It was while everyone was clearing the table that she finally approached him.

“Jefferson?”

He set the stack of plates he’d been carrying on the kitchen counter and turned to face her. “Yes?”

“It’s been a long time,” she said, smiling warmly. She thought of the times everyone had spent together back in Fairytale Land. He’d shown her other worlds – just as her parents had once done – allowing her back a small portion of her childhood that otherwise might have been gone forever. Of course, as Daniel had instructed, she hadn’t been allowed to tell anyone this. Standing there in front of her, Jefferson was another tie back to a happier time, and she couldn’t leave without saying something to him.

“I’m sorry,” Jefferson looked at her in confusion. “Do I know you?”

“It’s been a long time; you probably don’t recognize me. Well, and everyone thought I was dead.” She swallowed uncomfortably. “I’m Annie. Daniel’s little sister,” she prompted when Jefferson still seemed a little lost. “You used to—”

“Annie!” he exclaimed, having finally recognized her. He looked deeply into her eyes and smiled. “It really is you!” He pulled her into a quick hug and pulled back to look at her once again. “Look at you! You’re all grown up.” He noticed that everyone else had finished bringing in the dishes and all of their attention was now on them. He turned to Regina. “You told me she was dead.”

“Because that was what I believed up until a few days ago.”

Jefferson shook his head. “But she’s been working for you for the last—”

“Yes, I know. Just like you, I had no idea who she truly was.” She smiled and looked at Annie. “But she’s alive.”

“ _How_ are you still alive?” Jefferson asked Annie. “What happened to you?”

“That is a very long story,” Annie told him sadly.

As Grace approached to talk to both Annie and her father, Regina pulled Maleficent to the side. “We should talk.”

“Yes, Regina. We should. But now would not be the appropriate time.”

“Agreed, but how long are we going to put this off?”

“I don’t imagine we can put it off for long, dear. Things around us are already changing quickly. Can you not feel it?”

Regina shifted uncomfortably under Maleficent’s gaze. She’d been out of touch with magic for so long, she’d only been able to feel the weakening of the curse. Now that Maleficent had mentioned it, she did feel _something_. Not exactly the curse but…threads of something.

“Yes, I can see that you do now,” Maleficent said, watching Regina’s expression change. “There will be a time for us to talk.”

Not wanting to remain any longer, Regina cleared her throat. “Grace, we should be getting you back, now.”

Grace looked at her father sadly as she spoke. “Alright.” She hugged him tightly. “We’ll see each other soon, Papa.”

“I’ll make sure of it,” Regina added, wanting to insure that Jefferson would not be doing anything rash.

Jefferson nodded his thanks to her and walked them to the door.

Maleficent moved up next to him as he watched his daughter disappear with Regina.

“You surprise me,” she said, startling him. “You were going on and on about how to get revenge on Regina, and yet, when you come face to face with her, you soften.”

“It has been a long few days. I’ve had time to think about everything. Regina may have done terrible things to me and my family, but I’ve been reminded that I’m not completely innocent in the matter. How can I expect to hold her accountable for everything when my hands are also dirty?” He continued to stare out the window. “All I want is to be back with my Grace.”

“I don’t believe you’ll be waiting very long this time around,” Maleficent told him.

“What do you know about any of it?” he asked.

“Enough.”

“How can you be so sure? There is no prophecy this time. What if Emma can’t break the curse? How will we get home?”

“Don’t worry, Jefferson,” Maleficent said, turning to leave the room. “Every curse can be broken.”

Jefferson now stood alone, the car long gone from sight.

* * *

Regina paced the floor of her palace room furiously, her dress trailing heavily behind her. She paused as a hand servant peeked his head in the door. “What?” she snapped.

“Your Majesty?” the man was shaking with fear. “I’m sorry to interrupt you, but you said you wanted to be informed when—”

“Yes. Thank you. Send him in.”

The man quickly disappeared and a moment later, the door was pushed open to reveal a very upset Jefferson. “Regina, something has happened.”

“Yes, I know!” She glared at him, fire in her eyes. “Did you think that I wouldn’t hear about what you did?”

“I’m sorry, Regina. She told me—”

“How could you?!” Regina screamed, losing her composure. “After everything we’ve been through?”

“She told me that—”

“I don’t care! You know her, you should have known better!”

“Alice is dead.”

Though the queen had heard about the trip Jefferson had taken, this particular detail had been left out. That became apparent to Jefferson when grief flashed across her face. As quickly as it had appeared, however, it was gone. He watched as her face became a cold mask, reminding him eerily of Cora, the woman responsible for all of this.

“You’re surprised?” she asked coldly. “I would think you’d expect such things to come out of deals like these.”

“Regina, I—”

“I am your queen, and you will address me as such!” She drew herself up to her full height, and swept toward him. “You are lucky I don’t have you hanged for treason! The depths of your betrayal are worthy of such!”

“Regina, please,” he swallowed in fear as he suddenly found himself lifted from the ground and flung against the wall.

“What did I tell you?!”

There was a short moment of silence where he stared at her, caught off guard by her sudden use of magic. Surely the girl he’d grown up with would have turned away from anything that would make her more like her mother. But here she was, using magic to hurt him, sounding and acting more like her mother than she ever had before. “I’m sorry,” he finally said. “I meant Your Majesty.”

She dropped him to the ground with a flick of her wrist. “That’s better. Now, as I was saying, you’re fortunate that I’m willing to forego punishment. We wouldn’t want your dear Grace losing _everyone_ she loved. It’s a shame when people leave you. People you once thought loved you.” Her tone was still cold and even, but Jefferson knew that she was no longer talking only about Grace. He hung his head in shame. He knew that he’d failed her, but he’d hoped they’d be able to fix things. This woman standing in front of him, however, was not the Regina he’d grown up with. This was someone who’d been twisted and hardened by grief and anger.

“I’m sorry,” he repeated, but his words fell flat. There was no way he would convince her of the sincerity in his words. Even if he did, she wouldn’t care. She was beyond forgiving him.

“Leave now,” she said angrily.

“But we’re best friends…” he whispered, hoping there might be some way to get through to her still.

“That was a long time ago. I lost my friends years ago.” Her words cut deeply, and the complete absence of any feelings other than hatred or rage scared him. “Now get out of my sight, and don’t come here again!” He was frozen, trying to think of something to say. “GO!” she screamed, outraged by his lack of obedience.

Finally finding the ability to move his legs, Jefferson hurried to the door. He allowed himself one quick, grief-filled glance back at the woman who’d been his childhood friend and one of the most important people in his life for as long as he could remember. Then he pulled the door shut. The sound of the lock clicking into place seemed to echo in the hall. It only served to remind him of everything he’d just lost; his wife, his best friend, and the dreams he’d had for the future.

\----------

As the door shut behind him, Regina used her magic to turn the lock. She waited a few seconds to be sure Jefferson had gone before she fell to the floor, weeping. Her best friend had betrayed her in the worst way, and her dear friend Alice had been killed in the process. It wasn’t fair that this was happening to her; she’d already lost Daniel and Annie. It became clear to her in that moment that life in this world would never improve. If she was ever to have even a small chance at happiness, she would have to find a way out.


	10. Chapter 10

Regina parked the car outside the school. “Hold on,” she said as Grace started to unbuckle her seatbelt. “I’ll walk you in, just in case.”

“Won’t Ms. Blanchard know that I lied if you do that?”

“Don’t worry about that, dear. She’ll only know that we walked in together. In fact, Henry, why don’t you come in with us? We can pick up the homework you missed. Annie, will you be alright in the car for a few minutes?”

“Yeah, I’ll be fine. Can you leave me the keys?”

“Sure.” She handed her the keys and the three stepped out of the car.

The hallways of the school were still empty, but they wouldn’t be for long. School was due out any minute. Sure enough, the final bell rang as they were drawing near the door to Ms. Blanchard’s room. Regina put her arms around both children’s shoulders as kids came pouring out of classrooms. Most moved out of the way at the sight of the intimidating mayor. They reached the door as the last few students were coming out, so the room was empty when they stepped inside.

Mary Margaret looked up at the sound of the door closing and blinked in confusion. “Madame Mayor?” The words were surprised, but still rather cold. “Henry,” she smiled. “I’m glad to see you’re feeling better.” She looked relieved to see Grace as well. “How did your appointment go, Paige? I’m surprised to see you back.”

“It was fine.” Grace shuffled her feet a bit. “Actually, Ms. Blanchard, I was just wondering if I could get my homework from you. My parents are waiting out front for me.”

“Of course!” Mary Margaret lifted a small stack of paper stapled together. “Just problems one through ten tonight. We’ll work on the rest together as a class tomorrow.”

“Thank you, Ms. Blanchard,” Grace said, taking the papers. She smiled at Regina as she headed for the door. “Thank you, Mayor Mills.”

“You’re welcome, Paige,” Regina gave her a genuine smile in return and the girl waved before she disappeared out the door.

Regina turned to see Mary Margaret giving her a questioning look. “We ran into her in the hallway. I simply offered to walk her here.”

“Mmhm.” Mary Margaret turned her attention to Henry. “How are you doing, Henry?”

He looked up at his mom for a minute before looking back at Mary Margaret. “Really good. I feel fine now.”

“I assume you came for your homework, then?”

Henry nodded. As she reached for another packet, David stepped inside. “Sorry I’m late – I…” he trailed off as he noticed everyone in the room. “Regina?”

Mary Margaret looked uncomfortable at David’s sudden appearance. “Da-David,” she stammered. “Didn’t Regina tell you Henry was sick today?”

David looked at Regina. “No.”

Both Henry and Regina looked completely confused and David frowned.

“Why would he need to know I was sick?” Henry asked.

Mary Margaret frowned as well. “Because he picks you up every day after school.”

“He doe—” Henry started to ask, but Regina quickly cut him off.

“Of course, David! I’m sorry; it completely slipped my mind.”

“No problem,” David said, still looking confused. “I guess I’ll go then.” He looked sadly at Mary Margaret, who was pointedly avoiding eye contact. He turned just before he reached the door. “Regina, are we still doing dinner tonight?”

Henry’s mouth dropped open and Regina nearly choked. She glanced quickly at Mary Margaret, but the woman seemed unfazed. “Uhh…dinner?”

“It’s Thursday night. We always have dinner Thursday nights. But if Henry’s not feeling well, we can skip it.”

Regina cleared her throat. “No – dinner’s fine.”

“Alright,” David smiled. “See you at six-thirty.”

As soon as the door shut, Henry burst out, “Mom! Are you dating David?!”

This got a reaction from Mary Margaret, who looked incredulously at Regina. “Oh my God, Regina! Are you?”

Regina, for one of the few times in her life, was completely speechless.

“How could you?!” Snow demanded. “I was understanding when it came to your friendship. I didn’t like it, but you’ve been friends for so long, it wasn’t for me to question; but this?! Everyone knows that David and I have been seeing each other! We may be fighting right now, but that _certainly_ doesn’t mean you—”

“We are _not_ dating!” Regina stressed, trying to figure out what had just happened. Not possessing the same memories as everyone else was proving more difficult this time around. She was going to have to amend that quickly. She looked back to Mary Margaret. “We’re just friends, Ms. Blanchard; I assure you.” She truly hoped that was the case. She thought back to the night she’d had dinner with David. Had that night happened here? She certainly hoped the curse hadn’t translated that into a relationship between the two of them.

Mary Margaret, for her part, seemed to relax slightly. She handed Henry the packet, smiling awkwardly at him, having forgotten he was there. “Will you be back tomorrow?” she asked, changing the subject.

“Yeah,” Henry said.

“Oh, it’s Thursday!” Regina said suddenly. “You have an appointment with Dr. Hopper tonight!”

Henry’s shoulders slumped. “Do I still have to do that?”

“No,” Regina told him, running a hand through his hair, “but we should go tonight and give him notice.”

“Really?” Henry asked, disbelievingly. He looked up at his mom, eyes wide.

“Yes.” She smiled. “I see no point in continuing. I do want to talk to him, however, so I think I’ll go with you tonight. Annie should come with us so the three of us can get all caught up.” She was thinking of using Dr. Hopper to fill in the blanks in all of their memoires. She gave Henry a meaningful look, trying to convey the meaning of her words.

He stared at her for a moment before there was understanding in his eyes. “Ohhh,” he said. “Yeah, that’s a good idea! Maybe you can get his advice on how to tell…” he glanced at Mary Margaret and decided not to finish the sentence. “That’s a good idea.”

Mary Margaret was now looking completely lost. She kept glancing back and forth between the two of them, not believing her eyes. They were getting along and Regina was being understanding. She shook her head. “I should get going,” she told the pair. “I’m supposed to meet Emma later.”

“We need to leave as well,” Regina said, steering Henry toward the door. “Annie’s waiting for us in the car.”

“Bye, Ms. Blanchard,” Henry called to her.

When the door shut behind them, Henry looked up at Regina. “Oops. That was close! I think that would have just really confused Snow. Mom, you have to do something about her and David!”

“What?”

“They belong together. I know you’re the one who split them up, but you’re supposed to be good now.” He looked up at a stone-faced Regina. “Please, mom? They’re my grandparents!”

Regina’s forehead creased in a frown. “Alright, Henry. I’ll try, but I’m not sure how convincing I’ll be. Ms. Blanchard won’t be willing to listen.”

“No, but David will. And once Emma knows about the curse, I’m sure she’d be willing to talk to Snow.”

“We’ll see.” Regina continued to the car in silence. ‘ _How have things gotten to this point?_ ’ she wondered. She’d gone from being the Evil Queen who cursed everyone to the person who was supposed to fix everything. It was exhausting, and not a job that she particularly wanted. She was disturbed to find herself identifying with Emma Swan. Had this been how the woman had felt when she realized she was in charge of saving the entire town? Uncomfortable with that line of thinking, Regina shook her head.

As they approached the car, it looked empty, though loud music could clearly be heard coming from it. When they got close enough, they saw Annie with the front seat tilted all the way down, her eyes closed tightly, massaging her temple with her fingers. Rock music was blasting through the speakers, much to Regina’s displeasure. She opened the door, reached over and turned off the music so that Annie could hear her. “Are you okay?”

“Annie sat up slowly. “Headache,” she said when her seat was upright.

“Well, it’s no wonder, dear. That music, and at that volume?”

“No,” Annie said. “The music was helping. It blocks everything out.”

Regina looked at her in confusion. “What are you trying to block out?”

Annie kept her eyes closed as she spoke. “I’m not sure exactly. My thoughts are just…really loud, I guess. I don’t know – it’s been a rough couple of days. It’s probably just stress.” She gave Regina a weak smile.

Regina put her hand against Annie’s forehead, but it felt normal. “Hmm. Well, we’ll all try to get a good sleep tonight. That should help.”

“I hope so.” Annie closed her eyes once again.

“Well, we’re stopping by Dr. Hopper’s office for a little while on our way home. I could drop you off first if you like.”

Annie opened her eyes again to see both Regina and Henry watching her with concern. “No,” she said, shaking it off and sitting up straighter. “It’s fine. I’ll come with you.” She fought the urge to cringe as her headache intensified. She wasn’t sure what had brought it on so suddenly, but she hoped that the cure would be something as simple as a good night’s sleep.


	11. Chapter 11

“Emma? Are you home?” Mary Margaret called out to her roommate as she set her keys on the counter. “Hello?”

A moment later, Emma appeared at the top of the stairs. As she came down, she said, “I’m only here for a little while before I have to head back to the station. I just stopped by to get a bite to eat and change my shoes.”

Mary Margaret’s eyes were suddenly drawn to the very muddy pair of boots sitting by the door. She hadn’t noticed them when she came in. She gave Emma a questioning look. “On the job?”

“No,” Emma sighed. “I went for a walk to clear my head.”

“In the forest?”

“Yeah,” Emma said, a bit defensively. “It was the only place away from people.”

Mary Margaret raised her eyebrows. “Okaay…”

Emma pulled out a chair and sat down heavily. “It was a really weird day!”

Emma was caught off guard when Mary Margaret suddenly pulled out the chair across from her, sitting down and leaning in, her elbows on the table. “Tell me about it! I thought I was the only one.”

“You too, huh?”

“Yeah. Regina brought Henry in after class today and they were getting along! And Regina was acting…very bizarre!”

“Right?” Emma leaned in as well. “I saw her this morning and she was the same way! Henry was talking about Operation Cobra in front of her, and being nice to her. Not that he shouldn’t be nice to her – she’s his mother – but for Henry? That’s quite a turnaround from how he was acting around her yesterday!”

“She even seemed too distracted to insult me,” Mary Margaret told her. “That _never_ happens!” She was silent a moment, pondering things in her head. “You don’t think her behavior has something to do with everything that happened with Kathryn, do you? Like she’s planning something?”

“No…” Emma shook her head. “She wouldn’t use Henry for something like that…would she?” She looked up at Mary Margaret, who seemed doubtful, though she had her head tilted as though she were considering it.

“You’re right.” Mary Margaret shook her head to clear it of those thoughts. “I don’t think even _she_ would go that far.”

“But something is definitely going on!” Emma leaned back, debating whether or not she should mention Cora to Mary Margaret. Deciding there was no harm in it, she sat up. “There’s something else…”

Mary Margaret noticed the change of tone and straightened as well, interested to hear what Emma had to say. “Yes? What is it?”

“It’s about that call I got this morning. There was a woman wandering around town in strange clothing talking about magic and portals and it turns out…she’s Regina’s mother.”

“What?!” Mary Margaret looked shocked. “I didn’t know that Regina even had a mother. I mean – not one that was still alive or around or anything.”

“Yeah, Regina seemed pretty shocked herself.”

“So she knows that her mom is here?”

“Yeah, I kinda had to tell her. We put Cora – her mom – in a cell to keep her safe. Though the way she was talking to me today, it seems like it’s more for the safety of the town.”

“She’s like her daughter, then?” Mary Margaret gave a dry laugh.

“Yeah.” Emma’s gaze became unfocused, staring off into space. “I kind of get the feeling she’s worse. And the things she was saying… It’s like she knew about the curse.”

Mary Margaret grew concerned as Emma’s focus drifted elsewhere and she seemed to forget that she’d been having a conversation. “Emma? You don’t really believe…” Her tone and expression were skeptical.

“No, no.” Emma said, her vision sharpening again. She looked at Mary Margaret. “Of course not! It’s just a book, I know that! I’m just saying the woman creeped me out is all.” She glanced at the clock on the wall. “Shoot! I better get going! I’ll catch you later, okay?”

“Okay.” Mary Margaret smiled and nodded, though small traces of worry lingered. She watched Emma run around the apartment, grabbing her jacket and a Coke, and pulling on shoes. “See you later.” She waved to her roommate as she disappeared out the door. Regina wasn’t the only one acting oddly today.

* * *

Archie pulled open the door to his office to find Regina standing there with Henry and Annie. “Regina!” he exclaimed with surprise.

“Were you expecting someone else?”

“Well, yes, actually…” Getting a blank, but irritated expression, he continued on hurriedly. “I mean, James normally drops Henry off for his sessions.”

“I was hoping to talk to you today,” Regina knew there was no reason she should feel uncomfortable, but for some reason she did.

Archie looked surprised, but stepped aside anyway. “Of course! Come in, come in!” He looked down at Henry. “You don’t mind, Henry, do you?”

Henry shook his head. “No, we all have to talk to you. It’s really important!”

“Oh, okay,” Archie said, flustered. It was unusual for Regina to come to his office with Henry to talk. In fact, it had _never_ happened, and Archie was left wondering how this was going to go. He settled himself into his normal chair, adjacent to where Regina sat with Henry and Annie on either side.  “I guess we can get started then…” if only he knew where to start. He didn’t have to, because Regina spoke up.

“We’re not here for therapy, Dr. Hopper.” Her tone was sharp, but not as venomous as it had been in the past.

“You’re…you’re not?” he stammered. “Then what are you here for?”

“Well, first of all, we wanted to inform you that Henry will no longer be requiring sessions.”

“Oh?” Archie sat up a bit in surprise. He hadn’t been expecting this.

Regina smiled down at Henry, who smiled back up at her. “No, I think we’ve worked things out.”

“I’m glad to hear that,” Archie said slowly, “but I think you should be…” he searched for the right word, “cautious in proceeding. This seems rather abrupt.”

“It’s okay,” Henry told him. “We’ll be fine.”

“Does this mean that you don’t believe in the curse anymore?”

“No.” Henry bit his lip, looking to his mother for advice. He wasn’t sure how much he was allowed to share. She gave him a small, sad smile and shook her head almost imperceptibly. “Not exactly,” he continued, turning back to Archie. “It’s just, now, I can talk to my mom about it.”

“Really?” Archie looked at Regina. This really _was_ unexpected. The mayor had always been so against Henry’s belief in the storybook. Seeing her now, she seemed more relaxed, not having any kind of adverse reaction to Henry speaking of the curse, as she normally did.

“I actually wanted to ask _you_ some questions,” Regina shifted forward on the couch. “They may sound a bit odd. I was hoping you would extend the privacy privilege and not repeat them to anyone.”

“Of course,” Archie assured. He clasped his hands together, waiting for her to continue.

Regina was silent a moment, trying to think of a way to approach the questions without seeming too strange. “People around town,” she began, “well, they’ve been acting rather cold toward me lately.”

Archie gave a slight nod, not wanting to mention that this didn’t seem out of the ordinary. It was no secret that many people were frightened of the mayor, and that she was not well-liked.

“It’s just,” she continued. “I guess I’m wondering, from an outside perspective,” she gestured to him, “how people see me?”

“You want to know how people view you?” he clarified. She’d never seemed to worry what others thought before.

“Yes.”

“Okay.” He looked down. He couldn’t be brutally honest, especially not with Henry and Annie in the room. “Well, obviously, you’re a devoted mother,” he gestured to the two of them.

Annie sat forward a bit at this. “Mother?”

“Yes, well, you know…” Archie waved between the two of them. “Regina took you in when you were quite young. Adopted you when you lost your family.”

“You know about that?” Regina asked, slightly on edge. She was thinking about how vulnerable she’d be to the public if the next time they regained their memories, they had knowledge of Daniel and how she’d lost him.

“Well, not everything.” He pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose, frowning. “Actually, now that you mention it, I don’t really remember what happened there at all. Just that you took her in.”

“Hm,” Regina gave a sort of dry chuckle. “Odd how memories work like that.” Inwardly, she breathed a sigh of relief at having avoided that situation. “What else?”

“You work very hard at your job. Maybe a little too hard?”

“Meaning?” She glared at him, and he shifted uncomfortably.

“It just seems like you don’t leave too much time for yourself. There’s David, of course, but—”

Regina waved a hand to cut him off. “Tell me more about that.”

“Uhh, ahh, well,” Archie looked at her strangely. Why was the mayor asking these questions? “He’s been your best friend for as long as anyone can remember. He seems to be the only person who’s company you enjoy.”

“Hmm.”

“He helps out with Henry, picking him up from school, dropping him off here every Thursday. The four of you have dinner every Thursday after the session. It gives you and Annie a little extra time to work.”

“Because I’m her assistant,” Annie said slowly, trying not to make it sound like a question.

“Yes,” Archie answered. “You’ve been working at the office since you graduated. You’ve told me before you enjoy the work because it allows you to spend more time with Regina.”

“Anything else I should know about what people think of me?” Regina asked. She’d received the answers she’d come for.

“I guess not. Just…” he thought about the way she had smiled at both Henry and Annie since they’d come through the door. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d seen a genuine smile like that on her face. “It might be helpful to be more like this with everyone,” he advised.

“Like what?” The dangerous edge was back to her voice.

“How you were just now. How you are with Annie and Henry. If you show people who you really are, I’m sure they won’t be cold toward you.”

She nodded, standing abruptly. “Thank you, Dr. Hopper. You’ve been helpful. I’ll make sure to pay you for this session, but you can take future sessions off your calendar.”

She started out after Henry and Annie but turned with a glare when she felt a hand on her shoulder. “What?!”

“Just…be careful with Henry,” Archie said quietly. “His world, his imagination, is a very intricate and fragile—”

“I know!” She softened when she saw him cringe and look at Henry. “What I mean to say is, thank you for looking out for him. I assure you that I wouldn’t do anything to hurt my son.”

His look softened as well. “I know you wouldn’t.”

Regina followed Annie and Henry out, glancing over her shoulder at Dr. Hopper, who gave a small wave. She was surprised to find herself giving him a smile in return. Maybe the redemption Henry wanted for her wasn’t as out of reach as she’d originally thought.


	12. Chapter 12

Regina knocked softly on Annie’s door. Dinner was ready and both August and David would be arriving at any minute. Annie had gone quickly to her room when they’d arrived home, still not feeling well.

She didn’t hear an answer so she gently pushed the door open, not wanting to wake Annie in case she’d fallen asleep. Stepping inside, however, she could see this was not the case. Annie was curled tightly into a ball, clutching the picture of the two of them tightly, her hand clenched around something too small for Regina to see. It was a scene not unlike the hotel, only this time, Annie was awake and was doing her best to muffle the sounds of her sobs.

This time, Regina rushed to her side, sitting close to her on the bed. “Annie, what is it?” She reached a hand out and began to rub soothing circles on Annie’s back.

“All this time…” Annie choked out. “I-I-I could have been-been with you, and Daniel’s been de-dead. I didn’t-didn’t even remember him!” She took a shaky breath before she wailed, “-and now he-he’s gone!”

It was true, Regina realized. For Annie, Daniel’s death was recent. She’d never had time to grieve; she hadn’t remembered there was anyone to be grieving. Lifting her legs onto the bed, she lay down next to Annie and pulled her close, wrapping her arms firmly around her. “I’m here now.”

Annie dropped the picture and wrapped her arms around Regina. She rested her head on Regina’s shoulder, closing her eyes and starting to calm down as the pain in her head began to fade. It had been making everything that much worse. Its pounding had focused her thoughts on memories of her past; Daniel, his death, being taken from Regina, having her memories taken from her. With that pain lessened, she was able to clear away most of those darker thoughts. She almost felt like she could sleep.

At some point, they must have missed the doorbell ringing, because a moment later, Henry appeared in the doorway. “Oh,” he said awkwardly, seeing the scene in front of him. “Sorry. I just wanted to tell you that David and August are downstairs.”

“Alright,” Regina acknowledged. “Could you please tell them that I’ll be down in a minute?”

“Yeah, sure.” Henry hesitated a moment before entering the room and walking to the bed. “Are you okay, Annie?”

Annie turned slightly so that she could look at Henry. She gave him a small smile through her tears. “I will be, Henry. Thank you.”

Henry smiled back before leaving the room. He pulled the door shut behind him.

Annie turned back to Regina. “I guess I should probably get cleaned up so that we can go eat.”

“Are you feeling well enough?” Regina asked, using a thumb to wipe away Annie’s tears.

“Yes. I feel better, actually.” She smiled. “This helped.” She climbed off the bed and waited for Regina to do the same.

“Go ahead and wash your face,” Regina stroked her cheek. “I’ll go greet our guests.”

Annie started for the bathroom but stopped, suddenly remembering what she still had clutched in her hand. “I almost forgot!” She walked back to Regina. “Here,” she said gently, holding her palm out flat.

Regina stared at the ring Annie held out to her. “Where did you get this?” she whispered, reaching out a hand and picking it up delicately.

“I found it in the Hall of Doors,” Annie told her. “When we were coming back through with Graham.”

Regina slipped the ring onto her finger, a place it had not been in a very long time. It felt only right after having lost it. “Thank you.” She looked up at Annie, her eyes glistening with tears. “ _Thank you_.”

Annie wrapped her arms around Regina once more. “We’re each other’s family now. Nothing can ever change that,” she said firmly. Seeing the ring on Regina’s finger had brought a fresh wave of sadness, reminding her of the day they’d told her of the engagement. But it also reminded her that she and Regina were together again and she never wanted to be separated again.

* * *

David had felt awkward at first, not knowing that Regina had invited August to dinner as well. As dinner progressed, however, it became clear that he was there more for Henry’s benefit than anything else and David relaxed, no longer feeling that he was intruding on anything. He looked over to Annie. He’d noticed her silence all through dinner, which was very unlike her. She also looked a little pale. He made a note to ask her how she was doing when they were finished eating, not wanting to bring it up at the table.

That wasn’t the only difference he’d noticed this evening. Though August had most of Henry’s attention, David noticed that the boy would occasionally turn to his mom to bring her into the conversation. He’d smile and laugh at things she said, and Regina seemed warmer as well. It was nice to see, but it was a sudden change that had taken him by surprise. Normally, David had to try to nudge Henry into conversing with Regina, as the boy had it firmly planted in his head that she was the Evil Queen and would use anything he said against him.

It was a nice change, but David wondered what had brought it about and how it had happened so quickly.

When everyone had finished eating, David was quick to stand and help clear away the dishes. When he and Regina were alone in the kitchen, he started filling the sink with soapy water.

“David, you’re a guest, you don’t have to help wash the dishes.”

“Don’t be silly, Regina. I do this every week.”

“Right…”Regina’s gaze seemed to focus on something far away.

“How is everything?” He asked, a hint of concern in his voice.

“What do you mean?”

“Annie didn’t seem herself tonight.”

Regina sighed. “She’s not feeling well. She’s been having headaches all day.”

“Did she take anything to help?”

She nodded. “It didn’t seem to help, though. I’m hoping she’ll feel better tomorrow after she gets some rest.”

“I’ll take off when I’m done with the dishes so she can get to bed.” He began handing her dishes as he finished so she could dry them and put them away.

“You don’t have to.”

“No, it’s alright. She looks like she could use a little extra sleep.” As he passed her the next plate, he looked up at her. “You seemed different tonight, too.”

“Oh?”

“Yeah. You and Henry. He’s really warmed up to you, Regina. I’m glad.”

Regina smiled.

“See, you’ve softened, too. It’s nice to see you really smile. It’s so rare.”

Her smile disappeared, and she concentrated more heavily on her drying, rubbing the plate with a little more force than she had used before.

David noticed. “Hey, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to upset you. I just meant that it’s nice to see you happy.”

She nodded without looking at him.

He finished and dried his hands, waiting patiently as she finished putting the last dish away. He placed a hand on her shoulder. “I’ll check in with you tomorrow when I bring Henry home, okay?”

She managed to stop herself before she shrugged away from the contact. Not because it was unwanted, but because she wasn’t used to it. “Okay.”

She followed him back to the dining room where August was standing. “I’d better get going. Thank you for dinner, Regina. It was amazing.”

“It always is,” David said, walking over and slapping him on the back. “I’ll leave with you; I have to be to work early tomorrow. Hey kiddo,” he directed at Annie. “Feel better, and stop letting your mom work you so hard,” he teased.

She looked at Regina, eyes wide at hearing David refer to Regina as her mom. Regina looked back with a similar expression.

David didn’t notice. He was already ruffling Henry’s hair and saying, “See you tomorrow, buddy.”

“See ya,” Henry beamed up at him.

The two men waved and left.

“I thought you wanted to talk to August,” Regina said in confusion.

Henry nodded. “Yeah, we talked and we came up with a plan while you were in the kitchen with David. It involves you, though, and August said he thought it would be better if _I_ told you.”

“Of course he did,” Regina said wryly. “Alright; so what’s your plan?”

“Well, the first time around, Emma didn’t believe me, ‘cause I’m just a kid, but if _you_ told her—”

“Hold on.” Regina closed her eyes for a moment, shaking her head. “You want _me_ to tell her?”

“Yeah…” Henry said slowly, cringing. But then he straightened. “Mom, it’s the fastest way and August said it’s really bothering Emma. She was super stressed today and he said he thinks it’s because her mind wants to remember, but she won’t let it.”

“When were you wanting me to do this?” she questioned.

“Umm…tomorrow?”

There was silence as Regina watched Henry. He looked hopeful that they might be able to tell Emma, but more than that, he looked frightened. Regina realized it was because he was afraid that she’d say no. She couldn’t bear to see him looking like that, so it was almost against her will that she found herself saying, “Alright. I’ll talk to her tomorrow.” Seeing Henry’s excitement, she was quick to add, “I can’t promise that it will work.”

“I know,” Henry said brightly. “If it doesn’t work, we’ll find another way. But I’m _sure_ this will work.”

“Okay.” Regina patted his back, pushing him toward the stairs. “Bedtime.”

“Really?”

“Yes. Annie’s not feeling well, remember?”

“Right.” He went to Annie’s side where she was still sitting, resting against the back of the chair. “Goodnight, Annie. I hope you feel better!”

“Goodnight, Henry.” Annie managed to smile, but Regina was worried by how much effort it seemed to take.

“Mom, are you gonna come tuck me in?” Henry asked, leaning over the banister halfway up the stairs.

She smiled. She tucked him in every night, but it had been years since he’d asked her to. “Of course, Henry. I’ll be up in fifteen minutes.”

“I’m going to bed, too,” Annie said quietly.

“Alright. I’ll come check on you when I’m done with Henry. Make sure to come get me if you need anything during the night, okay?”

“I will,” Annie promised.

Regina watched her make her way slowly up the stairs and then began turning off all the lights downstairs. Thinking of her task to help Emma remember, she worried she might develop her own headache. What had she gotten herself into?


	13. Chapter 13

The queen ripping out the huntsman’s heart, leaving Jefferson in Wonderland, laughing mercilessly as the world was ripped apart from the outside in. These were the nightmares that plagued Annie all through the night. Sometimes she was in them, playing the part of one of the queen’s victims. Sometimes she viewed them from the outside. But always, they were terrifying and inescapable. In the beginning when the dreams had first started, somewhere in the back of her mind Annie had realized she was asleep, but unlike most dreams where you can wake yourself up, she couldn’t in this one. She tried to scream, but nothing came out. She tried throwing herself against the wall but it changed nothing. At one point, she even threw herself over the edge of a high balcony. All that resulted was the terror of falling and in the split second before she hit ground, she simply found herself in a new nightmare and a new situation. The only other option she could think of was to try talking to the queen. Perhaps that was somehow the key.

They were on top of a hill in a large field, looking at a grave and Regina was telling her it was her fault that Daniel was dead. That everything that had happened was because of her. It hurt deeply and she wondered why she was being tortured this way.

Annie stepped forward. “Regina, it’s me. Annie.”

“Did you know that apples stand for health and wisdom?” Regina asked her, holding out an apple.

Annie shook her head.

“It won’t kill you. No, what it will do is far worse. Your body will be your tomb and you’ll be in there with nothing but dreams formed of your own regrets.”

“But, Regina,” Annie pleaded, “I’m already stuck in a nightmare! Please help me! How do I get out? How do I wake up?”

Annie couldn’t believe how indifferent Regina seemed. The apple was poisoned with a curse worse than death, and yet she was offering it as if it were a favor she were doing her.

More scenes flicked by, each more terrifying than the last. They began to move so quickly, she couldn’t separate them and voices echoed over one another, drowning Annie in her nightmares. It didn’t take long for her to forget that these were only dreams.

The queen had Annie’s legs caught up in vines. They’d shot out of the earth as she ran for what she was sure was her life. They wrapped around her ankles first, tripping her up, and then twisted themselves up her leg as they pulled her backward. She tried desperately to stop herself, clawing the dirt as she was dragged over it, but it didn’t even slow her down. The vines flipped her over and pinned her down as the queen sneered and moved her head in close. It was to intimidate her, and it was working.

“Annie,” she said, and it terrified her. She was paralyzed with fear. All the dreams she’d had tonight, and now, she was completely and fully a part of them. The queen was speaking directly to her. “Annie.”

She wanted desperately to understand why the queen was after her, what she had done. She thought maybe, if she could talk to the queen, they could work something out, though the cold void in the queen’s eyes made her realize it would most likely fail. “Your Majesty?”

“Yes, Annie?” The queen was toying with her, she knew it.

“Please let me go,” she whispered. “I just want to go home!” But what was home? She couldn’t quite recall.

The queen frowned and Annie was surprised by the softness of her voice when she said, “Honey, open your eyes.”

Confused, she blinked heavily and then sat bolt upright, gasping for air and turned to see the queen only a foot away, perched on the bed. The room looked different from all of those others; strange, foreign – so did the queen, for that matter. Annie whimpered and scrambled back on the bed, nearly falling off the other side. She fought to get her legs untangled from the twisted blankets and backed across the room as far as she could go. When she hit the wall, she sank down and curled herself into the tightest position she could, seeing the queen move toward her. She buried her head in her knees. “No, no, no, no, no,” she cried, shaking her head. She finally remembered she’d been sleeping and wondered why she couldn’t wake up. It was then that things began to process. She’d sat up in a bed in a room very much not belonging to the world of her nightmares. There’d been light coming through the windows and the queen had been wearing dark silk pajamas. In fact, recalling the warmth and concern in her brown eyes – so very different from her eyes in the nightmare – this hadn’t been the queen at all. It had been Regina. She cautiously lifted her head to see those same brown eyes – filled with even more concern than before – looking down at her.

Regina had made sure to keep her distance this time, not wanting to frighten Annie further.

Annie fought to calm herself down. She watched Regina as she managed to rid herself of the panic that had gripped her. It wouldn’t completely disappear and she realized it was because somehow, she knew these weren’t just nightmares. She’d just witnessed some of the darkest acts committed by the queen, giving her the infamous title of ‘Evil Queen’. She’d heard the stories while locked in the tower, though they’d always been colored by Elise’s admiration for the queen. Since she’d regained her memories, Annie had pushed those stories to the back of her head. She’d witnessed the cruel side of Regina for only a short time and could not bear to think her capable of all of this.

“What are you doing in here?” She asked shakily, finally finding her voice.

“I came to check on you. You’re burning up. Honey, what’s the matter? And why didn’t you come get me if you weren’t feeling well?”

“It’s morning?” Annie blinked, suddenly realizing she felt hot and dizzy. She’d lived those nightmares through the entire night. “I don’t feel very well.” She curled up again, trying to block out the nausea she was starting to feel.

Regina moved cautiously toward her, but stopped immediately when Annie shook her head and said weakly, “No. Please don’t.” She took a deep breath and closed her eyes, fighting another wave of nausea. She felt like it might get better if she could just splash some cold water on her face, but standing up didn’t sound manageable. She was still shaking – a combination of her fever and the lingering fear from the nightmares. She was afraid she wouldn’t be able to support her own weight. Knowing that she couldn’t just sit there, she finally glanced back to Regina. “Could you…” she wasn’t ready for this, but she had no choice. “Could you help me up? I want to wash my face.”

“Of course.” Having Annie’s permission, Regina moved closer again. She reached out, but as gentle as she was being with her movements, Annie still jumped when she touched her. She didn’t move away though, so Regina wrapped one arm around her, under her shoulders and helped her to stand.

Everything in Annie was confused. At the same time she was trying to suppress the feelings of terror she had for Regina, she found herself relaxing into her support.

They finally reached the bathroom in the hall and Regina helped her to the sink where she leaned over it, letting the cold water run over her hands. It helped to calm the shaking, and when she let it pool and brought it to her face, she finally felt like she could stand straight again, without the fear of falling.

She jumped when she looked up into the mirror, her eyes having found Regina’s reflection behind her rather than her own. The warm brown eyes, however, reminded her once again that this was her family – not someone she needed to fear.

“I’m gonna go lay down,” Annie told her. “Can you bring me a glass of water?”

Regina nodded and quickly disappeared, eager to do anything to help.

Annie had just settled back into the pillows when Regina entered with the water.

After a few sips, Annie set the glass on the nightstand. “Can we talk?” She could feel the headache coming on again, but she needed to know about what she’d seen.

“Sure.” Regina started to sit on the edge of the bed, but Annie shook her head. She scooted over to the side and made room for Regina to lie next to her.

When Regina had pulled herself into place, Annie curled up, leaning her head on Regina’s shoulder as Regina’s arms wrapped around her.

It felt strange and didn’t really make sense to Annie, but in order to talk about it, she had to feel safe from the Queen. Irrationally and against all reason, Annie found this safety in the arms of the woman herself.

“I dreamed about you last night,” Annie said finally. “Only, I don’t think they were dreams. You pulled Hansel and Gretel away from their father and forced them to go to the house of the blind witch, like many other children, though they were the only ones to make it out. You captured Prince James and used him to harm Snow White. You left him dying while Snow watched the curse rip everything apart.” Regina was uncomfortable, yes, at the memories of the things she’d done, but thought it was the stories from Henry’s book that had caused these dreams. That was, until Annie said the next part in a hushed and pained whisper. “You ripped out the heart of your own father to help the curse.” _That_ had most definitely not been in the book.

“You know about that?” Regina asked. Annie had felt her tense immediately.

“I watched it happen,” Annie choked out. “I watched _all_ of it happen. Sometimes I was the one it was happening to. Like when you gave Snow the apple.” She was silent a moment, Regina paralyzed, not knowing what to say. “At first, I knew I was dreaming,” Annie continued. “But after more and more of that, everything was confusing and I forgot who I was. That’s why I was so afraid this morning. I didn’t remember where I was and I’d just been dreaming about you.” She didn’t want to ask the next question, partly because she was afraid of what Regina’s reaction would be, but mostly because she already knew the answer and didn’t want to hear it aloud. She asked anyway. “Is it true? Did all of those things actually happen?”

She didn’t look up because she didn’t want to see Regina’s facial expression, but she felt the arms around her drop.

“Yes. All of them. So now you know,” the words wavered a bit with emotion, but then grew stronger. “I’m a terrible person.” The chill in her voice set Annie on edge again, but she didn’t lift her head. She knew by this point it was simply a defense mechanism. She also knew that Regina wasn’t like that anymore. Whatever had caused her to seek revenge on everyone and destroy everyone’s happiness was gone.

“It wasn’t you,” Annie finally said. “You’re not a terrible person.”

“Yes, it was me, Annie. I don’t want you passing it off so easily.”

This caused Annie to sit up a bit so that she could look Regina in the eye. “It’s not easy. It’s the opposite of easy. But it isn’t you.” She paused a minute so she could wrap her head around the next words. “You’re not who you were when I first met you, I know. Too much has happened. But you’re not the person who did all of those terrible things, either. You’re somewhere in the middle. I understand that. Don’t you?”

Regina didn’t say anything. It was true, she’d moved beyond the pure feelings of hatred she’d once had. She still felt conflicted and didn’t always do the right thing, but she’d changed. Maybe because she hadn’t had magic for so long, maybe because of her time in Storybrooke and with Henry. Most likely, a mix of all of those. Whatever it was, she knew she’d changed, and that it was a transition still in progress.

Her actions had now come back to haunt not just her, but Annie; the poor girl who had already suffered so much. And how? How had these visions come to her? Was it something she’d done? She’d have to ask Maleficent about it. Somehow, the woman had come back from the dead with far more wisdom.

For now, she felt disgusted with herself. She’d somehow tainted the innocent sleep of one of the only people she loved. That had to stop. She moved to get up, but Annie quickly put her head down again and wrapped her arms around her, trapping her there.

“I don’t want you to go,” Annie said. She closed her eyes. “I don’t feel as sick when you’re here.”

After a minute, Regina returned her arms to their place around Annie. “I guess I can stay for a little while. Do you need anything?”

Annie was almost afraid to ask, for fear of sounding stupid. “I know I’m not a child anymore, but can you tell me a story like you used to? About one of our adventures with Jefferson?”

Though Annie couldn’t see it, Regina smiled. It had been a long time, but it wasn’t hard to recall the girl’s favorite story. “Once upon a time,” she began, “there was a world called Neverland. It was filled with pirates, mermaids and children who would never grow up.”


	14. Chapter 14

It didn’t take long for Annie to drift to sleep, peacefully this time. Regina waited a few minutes to make sure she was deeply asleep before slipping her arm out from under her. She draped a spare blanket over Annie to make sure she stayed warm, tucked a stray hair behind the girl’s ear and then made her way to her own room. She had a lot to do today, and though it was still early, she thought she’d better get a head start on it. She quickly changed into a comfortable pantsuit, fixed her hair and makeup and then went downstairs, where Henry was already sitting at the table with a bowl of cereal.

“You’re late,” he said through a full mouth. Normally, she’d already started breakfast when he came in in the morning.

Acknowledging his lack of table manners with only a raised eyebrow, she said, “Annie still wasn’t feeling very well.”

“I hope she’ll be okay,” Henry said after swallowing. “Do you want me to take the bus today?”

“Yes. In fact, I’ll be skipping the office again. I don’t want to leave Annie here alone, and there’s a lot to be done.”

“Like telling Emma about the curse, right?” Henry paused with the spoon halfway to his mouth.

She sighed. “Yes, Henry, I will be talking to Emma today.”

He stuck the spoon in his mouth and grinned at her.

Shaking her head and chuckling a bit, she pulled down a glass for herself and poured some orange juice. “Don’t forget that David will be picking you up this afternoon.”

“I won’t!” Henry said brightly. “I’m really glad that he’s your friend now. Why do you think the curse did that?”

Regina thought back to all of her conversations with David from after the curse had broken. He’d treated her with a respect and kindness that she hadn’t thought she deserved. In fact, he’d been the only one to try to understand her. She’d come to consider him a friend – at least, as close to a friend as she’d come to having for the last several decades. Kathryn had been something similar, but Regina hadn’t allowed herself to connect with someone who’d been playing such an important role in one of her schemes. That, and the woman had still been under her curse.

Coming out of her thoughts, she realized Henry was still looking up at her expectantly, waiting for an answer.

“I suppose I wanted it to,” she told him. If she wanted to keep his trust, she’d have to keep herself honest. “He was kind and treated me in a way that no one had in a very long time.”

Henry tapped his spoon on the edge of his bowl slowly, deep in thought. He frowned. “Do you think it’s my fault?”

“Do I think _what’s_ your fault, Henry?”

“That no one treated you nicely before the curse broke. Do you think it’s because I told people you were the Evil Queen?”

“Oh, no, honey.” She moved quickly to his side and bent down so she could look him in the eye. “It was how I’ve treated them since we arrived here.” She sighed heavily. “I’m not the nicest person.”

“But you just wanted your happy ending,” he argued. “I’m the one who ruined that for you.”

“Listen to me,” she said, putting a hand under his chin. “I love you. I’ve loved you from the moment they put you in my arms. Even here, I was never truly happy, and I didn’t realize that until you broke the curse. I’d been fooling myself into thinking that I was happy controlling everyone.” It was odd to be making such large revelations about herself while answering Henry’s questions and reassuring him. “Now I get to be honest with you and with everyone. I have a chance to redeem myself. I never would have had that without _you_ , Henry.” She stood up and ran a hand through his hair. “So don’t ever be sorry. You never ruined anything, you fixed it; you fixed _me_.”

He smiled. “Mom?”

“Yes, Henry?”

“Can you tell me more of your stories sometime? Ones from before you were the Evil Queen? They’re not in the book.”

“Of course,” she said warmly. “I’d love to.”

* * *

Regina sighed, tapping her fingers on the counter. She’d done everything she could to stall. Henry was at school, Annie was still sleeping upstairs, the house was immaculately clean. Running through her regular list of chores, she’d started in on the more unusual items on her checklist. She’d made a very brief phone call to Bae where she’d told him that it was time. He’d responded mostly with shocked silence, but had finally agreed that he would find time this week to come.

“ _I still don’t want any of my family to know about this_ ,” he’d told her harshly.

“ _I swear they will not find out unless you want them to_.”

He’d hung up first.

She’d moved on to call Jefferson, asking if he’d made any progress in volunteering at the school. That had been an unexpected conversation.

_“Regina, I was going to call you. This volunteer thing was a stupid idea! Of course, they’re not going to let me volunteer; Mary Margaret thinks I’m a crazed lunatic who should be locked up.”_

Regina had held her tongue at the comment, knowing that a sarcastic remark would only worsen the situation.

_“And why would she think that?”_ she’d asked instead.

_“I kind of abducted her at one point and…sort of…drugged Emma and held them at gunpoint. It doesn’t matter! The point is, I’m not going to be able to see my daughter!”_

Again, she’d restrained herself and hadn’t mentioned that this did very _much_ matter. She’d been burning with questions as to when these particular events had taken place and under what circumstances, but knew it had not been the time to ask. Instead, she’d brought him down from his rant.

_“Relax, Jefferson. That wasn’t the only option, remember? I can set up a job shadow with the school and arrange for Grace to help me out around the office.”_

_“Why do you think they’d like you any better? Mary Margaret distrusts you as much as she does me.”_

_“Yes, but Jefferson, you’re forgetting that I’m the mayor. Mary Margaret will have no say in the matter. I’ll get it set up, and you’ll be able to see her within the week. Stop worrying so much. I’ll call you when it’s done.”_

_“Fine.”_

Again, the line disconnected before she’d even pulled the phone from her ear. She’d made the necessary arrangements, ensured that it would be Grace who would be working with her and called Jefferson back to let him know the details. She didn’t get a thank you, but she’d drawn a small satisfaction from being the one to hang up on _him_ this time.

Now she was here at the kitchen counter, tapping away with her fingers and staring at the phone. Looking at the clock, she saw that it was already 12:30 and if she wanted to get this whole thing over with before Henry arrived home from school, she would have to do it now. She finally stilled her fingers and grabbed angrily at the offending device, punching in the numbers to the sheriff’s station.

Although she should have expected it, she still was caught off guard when it was Graham on the other end. “Sheriff’s station, this is Graham.”

She swallowed, but recovered quickly. “Graham, it’s Regina.”

“Mayor Mills. Is everything alright? Has Henry run away again?”

She shook her head, almost ashamed that this had happened so many times it was the go-to assumption. “No,” she finally said. “Henry’s at school. I was actually looking for Ms. Swan.”

Regina could almost hear the surprise in the silence that followed before Graham said, “She’s eating lunch, but I can go and get—”

“No, that’s alright,” Regina interrupted. “Can you just tell her to come by my house as soon as she’s finished?”

“Suuure.” The confusion was clear in his voice. “Are you sure everything’s alright?”

“Yes,” she told him, making her annoyance clear. “I merely have something I need to discuss with her.”

“Alright. I’ll tell her.”

“Thank you.” She hung up and grabbed an apple from the bowl on the counter. She only had about half an hour to figure out what on earth she was going to say.


	15. Chapter 15

When the red door swung open, Annie stood staring in wonder. She’d been to many worlds with her parents, but never this one. They stood on a cliff on the edge of a large bay. The air smelled salty and fresh, and the ocean sparkled below with the setting sun. The island itself was a deep, beautiful green and the palm trees were bending gently in the wind. “What is this world?” she asked, looking up at Jefferson.

“This is Neverland; my favorite. I brought Regina here many times when we were younger.”

Annie turned to face the woman whose hand she’d been holding. “You’ve been to other worlds a lot?”

Regina nodded, smiling. “There are so many beautiful worlds, Annie. I want to show them all to you.”

A veil of sadness fell over Annie as she was once again reminded of the past she wasn’t allowed to share with anyone. She wanted to tell Regina about all the worlds she’d been to, but Daniel had forbid it. He’d reluctantly agreed to this trip, only after Jefferson and Regina had promised to never leave her side. Annie didn’t know that the only real reason he was permitting the trip was because of her constant state of depression. She’d become much better with time, interacting with Regina and smiling every once in a while, but the day that she came to him with Jefferson’s idea to go through the hat was the first day he’d seen her truly happy. It was the closest to her old self that she’d been since their parents had been killed, and there was no way that he could say no.

“Annie, darling, are you alright?” Regina asked, bending down to meet the eyes of the seven year old who’s expression had become quite sad.

Annie refocused on Regina and nodded slightly. “I’m okay. I wish Daniel had come with us.”

“Me, too. But I promise we’re going to have lots of fun!” Regina knelt down and pulled Annie into her side, pointing down to the water. “Do you see that ship way down there?”

“Yes.”

“It’s a pirate ship!”

Annie looked at her excitedly. “It is?”

“Yes, and there are mermaids in the water all around that keep the peace between the pirates and everyone else on the island. The pirates weren’t from this world originally, but they’ve been here for many, many years now. There’s something very magical about this world.”

“More magical than pirates or mermaids?” Annie asked excitedly. She’d heard stories about pirates, but they hadn’t had them in her world, and their new home was too far away to have ever seen one.

Regina laughed gently. “Yes. You see, here in Neverland, no one ever gets older.”

“Never ever?”

“That’s why they call it Neverland.” She was about to go on further, when sudden shouts from children could be heard and they were growing louder.

“Regina!” Suddenly, a group of six young boys around Annie’s age came running up from the side. “Jefferson!”

Regina stood quickly and all of the boys surrounded her, hugging her tightly.

“Where’s Peter?” Regina laughed out, trying her best to return the hugs.

“I’m right here, silly,” came a voice above, and Annie gasped, surprised to see a young boy hanging over the edge of a cloud. “You should know by now that we know when you’re coming. The fairies tell us.”

“You have fairies?” Annie couldn’t help but ask. She shrank back slightly as all of the boys turned to look at her, noticing her for the first time. Regina stepped over to her and put an arm around her shoulder. “It’s alright. Boys, this is Annie.”

The littlest boy, around four years old, stepped forward. “Is Regina your mother?” he asked frowning.

“‘Course not,” Peter scowled, flying down from the cloud. Annie couldn’t believe it; a boy who could fly! “She’s ours! And you can’t have her!” Peter said, brandishing a small sword.

“Peter!” Regina scolded. “That’s no way to treat someone you’ve just met! Put away that sword this instant!”

“Sorry, Regina,” Peter said, and his cheeks reddened as he looked at the ground.

“But are you her mother?” one of the twins asked. Annie had never seen twins before.

“Yes,” Peter joined back in, studying Regina closely. “You’ve gotten older again.”

“No, I’m not her mother,” Regina told them all. “But she is family. I expect you to treat her well.”

“Sure we will,” another boy smiled. “She’s younger then Wendy was, so she can be our sister!”

“Who’s Wendy?” Annie asked, gaining a bit of courage.

“Wendy was our mother,” the other twin said. “But she had to leave us.”

Jefferson leaned down and looked at Annie. “Do you remember how I told you that Alice had come through from her world by mistake?”

Annie nodded.

“Well, Wendy was her best friend. They fell through a portal together, but were separated. Wendy ended up here in Neverland. The fairies took her home straight away, but Peter followed them to her world where he was able to visit and occasionally bring Wendy and both of her brothers back.”

“That’s right!” Peter said, standing proudly with his hands on his hips. “The Lost Boys needed a mother, and I knew Wendy would be perfect for the job!”

Annie scrunched her nose in confusion. “But if she was just a girl, how could she be your mother?”

“She wasn’t _my_ mother,” Peter said haughtily. “I brought her back for the others.” He dropped his arms to his side, deflating slightly. “But she didn’t want to be a mother. She wanted her own mother. She made the fairies take her and her brothers back.”

“So who takes care of you now?” Annie asked sadly. She knew what it was like to be without parents, but at least she had Daniel, and now Regina.

“No one!” Peter said defiantly. “We take care of ourselves.”

There were shouts of agreement between the group of boys before the youngest one stepped forward. “But Regina tells us stories when she comes because she’s our mother now. Right?” He looked up at her expectantly and she smiled down at him.

“Of course. And I will tell you more tonight; but first, how about some adventure?”

The boys cheered and ran off, dragging Regina and Jefferson along with them. Annie clutched tightly to Regina’s hand. She wasn’t sure about the Lost Boys yet, but if Regina said they were going to have fun, then it must be the truth.

* * *

Regina had never scared Emma Swan; far from it. The intimidation tactics the mayor used to instill fear and discipline in the people of her town only served to piss the blonde off. Every time Regina tried to get her to leave, Emma’s desire to stay only increased.

She wondered why it was, then, that this time felt different. She wasn’t even sure that leaving town was something the mayor wanted to discuss, but Emma found herself strangely nervous all the same. This time felt different. It was that same damn nagging feeling she’d been having since yesterday.

She knocked almost hesitantly on the door before cursing herself and knocking again; louder this time. She sure as hell wasn’t going to leave any impression of weakness on the mayor.

It didn’t take long for the door to swing open. “I heard you the first time, dear. No need to beat the door down.”

Emma rolled her eyes and tucked her hands into her pockets. “You wanted to see me?”

It was a quick flash, but Emma could almost swear she saw a bit of nervousness in the mayor’s expression as well. It passed quickly before she stepped aside and gestured for Emma to step in. “This may take a while. It would probably be best to sit.”

“Okaayyyy.” Emma stepped inside, trying to hide her apprehension. This felt way off. “How come we’re not meeting in your office?”

“Annie’s ill. She’s asleep upstairs right now, and I didn’t want to leave her alone.”

Emma nodded silently and followed Regina into the living room. Regina sat down but Emma hesitated. “What’s this about Regina?” She was starting to feel trapped.

“I’m hoping that will become clear shortly.” Regina seemed to gather her thoughts for a moment and Emma realized that the mayor was finding this almost as difficult as she was. “This is a very delicate subject, and I’m not sure exactly how to approach it.”

“Is this about Henry?” Emma asked, suddenly concerned. She hadn’t considered that maybe something was actually wrong. She assumed that the mayor was going to try to get her to step down from her position, stop seeing her son, leave town; something along the lines of their normal conversations. It scared her to think that it might be something with more serious consequences.

“No, it’s not about Henry.” Regina saw the woman had begun to shift back and forth on her feet with a concerned look and realized what the woman must have been thinking. “I assure you, Henry is perfectly fine.”

“Then what? What’s this about? Regina, I have things I need to be doing. Cut to the chase, will you?”

“Ms. Swan! Would you please sit down?!” Regina wouldn’t admit it, but the pacing was adding to her nerves and she was afraid if she didn’t broach the subject soon, she’d lose her nerve all together. Seeing a snippy retort forming on Emma’s lips, she was quick to soften her tone. “Please. I will tell you, if you’d please just sit.”

The sudden politeness caught Emma off guard. She sat down carefully, more alert now than ever, but waited for Regina to begin.

“It’s about Henry’s book.”

Emma closed her eyes in annoyance. “I thought you said this didn’t have anything to do with Henry.”

“It doesn’t; not really.”

“But it does have something to do with his book?” She shook her head in confusion.

“Yes.” Regina quickly realized that there was no way to say it delicately so she just laid it out plainly. “Everything in that book, everything Henry has been telling you, is true.”


	16. Chapter 16

Annie yawned and leaned into Jefferson’s side with exhaustion. The youngest boy, Tootles was perched in Regina’s lap, while the others were gathered around her. She’d just finished telling them all a story from when she and Jefferson had visited a magical world where there was no land – only water – and all of the cities were floating; never staying in the same position for long.

Now the boys were excitedly telling their guests a story in exchange. They’d recently had a run-in with Captain Hook and his crew and were eager to share the experience.

“So then,” Nibs said, “Peter jumped down from the sails and scared Smee so badly that he actually screamed.”

All the boys laughed and Curly cackled out, “Like a little girl!”

They all laughed some more.

“Hook was really mad!” one of the twins said.

Regina smiled softly, but then grew serious. “You should be careful around Hook. He’s a dangerous man. I wouldn’t want any of you to be hurt.”

“That’s no fun,” Peter whined. “And besides; the mermaids are there in the water. They would come to our aid if we needed it.”

“Nonetheless,” Regina continued, “you shouldn’t taunt them.”

“What’s taunt mean?” Tootles asked.

“It means you make them angry for no reason.”

“But they’re pirates!” Curly cried. “They’re bad!”

“That may be true, but that also means that they’re dangerous.”

“You used to help us plan our attacks,” Nibs said sadly. “What changed?”

“We grew up,” Jefferson told him. “That’s what happens when you grow up; you learn how important it is to keep children safe, and that’s all we want for you. Your safety.”

“Safety is boring!” Peter declared. “That’s why the Lost Boys and I decided to stay. We won’t ever have to grow up like you.”

Regina smiled sadly. “Alright, boys,” she said tickling Tootles’ sides so that he stood. “It’s time for us to get back home to our world, and it’s time for you all to go to bed.”

“But we don’t want to go to bed,” Tootles complained.

“Well how do you expect to have all of these grand adventures if you’re all so tired that you fall asleep into your breakfast plates?” she asked them.

Peter nodded, his face stern. “She’s right, Lost Boys. It’s off to bed with us.”

Jefferson, Regina and Annie followed them all inside their fort, though it was a tight squeeze for all of them.

Jefferson and Regina went around making sure all of the boys were settled nicely under their blankets while Annie sat down and leaned against a wall.

“Goodnight Lost Boys,” Regina said gently, kissing each of them on the forehead.

“What’s that?” Tootles asked in confusion.

“It’s your kiss goodnight,” Regina told him.

“That’s not a kiss,” Peter stated. “It’s a thimble.” He made a face. “It’s something for grown-ups.”

“Yes, well it’s also something that mother’s give their children.”

“I like it,” Slightly yawned. “I should like to think when my mother tucked me in, she gave me a kiss goodnight.”

“How would you remember a thing like that?” Nibs asked.

“I wouldn’t,” Slightly said defensively. “I’m just sayin’ it would be nice, is all.”

The twins nodded their agreement. “We think so, too.”

“Promise you’ll come back?” Tootles asked.

“I promise,” Regina smiled at them all and turned to Jefferson and Annie. “Oh, dear,” she said, noticing Annie had fallen fast asleep. “It’s definitely time for us to get home and get her to bed.”

“I’ve got her,” Jefferson said. He lifted her up and she stirred a bit, wrapping her arms around his neck and resting her head on his shoulder.

Regina came up and brushed a hand over the sleeping girl’s hair.

“Take care of our sister,” Curly said sleepily.

“I will,” Regina assured them. “Goodbye, Lost Boys.”

“Goodbye, Regina. Goodbye, Jefferson,” they all called out, already beginning to drift off to sleep.

It seemed a short walk back to the portal and Annie remained asleep the entire way.

Just before stepping through, Regina turned to look at the beautiful island, lights from the pirate ship and the fairies twinkling and lighting up sections of the beautiful world. She had no idea that this would be the last time she would ever enter this world as Regina, the kind-hearted young woman who’d become mother to the Lost Boys.

* * *

“I’m sorry, what?!” Emma felt she’d definitely heard something wrong.

“The curse is real, Ms. Swan.”

“No, see, that’s what I thought I heard you say, but that can’t possibly be what you meant.”

“Why not?”

“Because it’s ridiculous! It’s impossible! It’s insane!” Emma was searching for the appropriate word for what it was, exactly, that she was feeling, but couldn’t think of anything suitable for the situation. Insanity was as close as it came. It was a prank that the mayor was pulling.

Regina certainly wasn’t acting as if it were a prank. Her expression was nothing but serious and she was staring at Emma with such intensity that Emma had to look away. She stood up and started to pace the room. “Are you seriously asking me to believe that magic is real? That everything here in Storybrooke is out of a fairytale? That you’re the Evil Queen?! Come on, Regina, what’s going on?”

Regina stood up herself, the pacing making her feel uneasy. She straightened her jacket and stood tall. “You already know all of this Emma. You figured it out once, remember?”

Emma shook her head, not stopping her pacing, and looked at Regina. “What are you talking about?”

“You have to stop fighting it, and just remember.”

Emma stopped in the middle of the room, confusion mixing with that nagging feeling. She opened her mouth to argue, but little pieces of…something…started to float to the surface. Feelings or memories. They felt like what had been occurring since yesterday morning, but sharper – more in focus.

Regina watched Emma’s expression and knew that she was starting to comprehend. “Henry was in the hospital,” she started out painfully. “He died because of me. Because of a cursed apple I was trying to give _you_. But you woke him up and broke the curse.”

That did it. Emma bent over as memories flooded through her. They overwhelmed her and made her feel dizzy. In fact, yes; the floor definitely seemed to be getting closer. She reached out to it and felt the solidity of it under the palms of her outstretched hands. It only served to make her vision that much shakier. She closed her eyes and lowered herself to the ground, lying flat and focusing on the solid, unmoving ground beneath her in a vain attempt to still her thoughts as well.

“Emma? Emma, are you alright?”

More out of surprise of hearing that voice say her first name than anything else, Emma forced her eyes open. She was met by the sight of Regina, bent down by her side, leaning over her with a concerned expression.

It brought Emma back to the present, and she realized with embarrassment that she’d very nearly fainted in front of Regina Mills, the Evil Queen. She pushed herself up quickly, grabbing her head and wincing with pain as the effects of sitting up too suddenly washed over her.

“Yeah,” she groaned. “I’m fine.” She pulled herself to her feet and shook her head. “Geez, if that’s what it feels like to have two sets of memories fighting for each other, I’d hate to find out what it felt like after twenty-eight years. How did everyone else do it?”

Regina watched her move around the room to sit down on one of the couches. Regina followed suit.

“Regina…Why are you doing this?” Emma knew that obviously, at one point or another, the curse would once again be broken and everyone would remember what had happened, but she didn’t understand why Regina would allow her to remember before the fact. They were enemies – at least, they had been for the past year.

“For Henry,” Regina said simply. “I’m trying to be a better person for him. The time is coming when we’ll need the curse to be broken. When that time comes, I may very well need your help.”

Emma nodded slowly, still trying to process everything. Was it really possible that Regina was changing? It certainly seemed possible with the way she’d been acting with Henry ever since the curse had been broken. With memories of the curse, however, came other, more disturbing thoughts. “Oh my God,” she suddenly said. “Regina – your mom! She’s in the prison cell right now. She’s scheduled to be released this afternoon!”


	17. Chapter 17

Annie woke from her dreams feeling refreshed and much better than she had in the last twenty-four hours. She stretched and laid back in bed smiling. Nothing could cheer her up like the memories of Neverland.

Hearing voices filtering through from downstairs, she climbed out of bed. She took the time to wash up and change. Looking in the mirror, she smiled at her reflection. She was feeling much better and she was happy. She bounced down the stairs and was surprised when she was met with the sight of Emma and Regina talking in the living room.

“Annie!” Regina said, noticing her entrance. “Are you feeling better?”

“Much!” Annie smiled brightly.

“You look better,” Regina walked over to her, placing a kiss on her forehead. “I’m glad.”

“I think your story helped,” Annie told her. “I dreamed about Neverland and the Lost Boys.”

There was a flicker of sadness on Regina’s face, but she smiled and said, “That was a great day.”

Annie nodded.

Emma, for her part, stood staring back and forth between them, squinting her eyes. “Did I miss something? Last I knew, Annie was Rapunzel turned secretary and now, I have this whole set of memories where she’s like, your daughter or something, and you’re talking about Neverland.”

“Yes, Ms. Swan,” Regina said. “Annie is a part of my family.”

Emma noticed that Regina had immediately switched back to the use of her last name, but skimmed right over it. “Have you been to Neverland?” Emma asked.

Regina thought it odd that with everything happening, this was what Emma had chosen to focus on. Not the new information about Annie, and not Cora.

“Peter Pan has always been my favorite story!” Emma rushed on. “Is he here? Like in Storybrooke? Do the Lost Boys go to school with Henry? What about Hook?”

Regina raised an eyebrow, not sure how to feel about the outburst. Amusement was in there somewhere, but it was overshadowed by annoyance and an urgency to deal with the large issues that were currently looming over her.

“Ms. Swan! We were discussing Cora!”

Emma blinked and shook her head, growing somber again very quickly. “Of course.” She couldn’t believe she’d allowed herself to get out of control like that. “I’m not sure there’s anything I can do about it.”

“What is that supposed to mean?” A twinge of desperation leaked through Regina’s question, and Emma was once again alarmed by the fear Regina held for her mother. When the Evil Queen was afraid of someone, you definitely had something to worry about.

“I mean, there’s nothing I can legally do to keep her locked up. Besides, I’m not even Sheriff anymore.” She frowned as she said it, this being the first time that she’d recalled that fact. “Is this something we need to be worried about? I mean, of course we don’t want her out,” she said quickly, seeing the mayor’s expression. “I just mean, threat-wise, isn’t she powerless now? Didn’t she lose her magical capabilities when she came through to this world?”

Regina’s gaze was far-off. “Let’s hope so.”

* * *

The clock was broken; Henry was sure of it. The second hand was moving so slowly, he could barely stand it. There were only two minutes left of class, but they were taking an eternity to pass. He was tapping his fingers as Ms. Blanchard talked, his eyes never leaving the clock.

“Henry? Eager for class to end?” Henry jumped at her voice and he looked at her guiltily. “Sorry, Ms. Blanchard.”

“That’s alright, Henry. There’s not much time left to wait.”

He nodded and she noticed his eyes slip almost immediately back to the clock.

As if to torture him, the second hand stopped dead. His eyes widened at its sudden lack of movement.

Noticing the change of expression, Mary Margaret turned to glance at the clock and saw that it had frozen five seconds before the bell would ring. She held back a chuckle as she turned to face the class again. It wasn’t unusual for the clocks in the building to get a few seconds ahead and pause while they reset from time to time. Apparently, it was not something Henry had ever noticed.

Finally, the second hand started its movement again and a few tedious seconds later, the bell sounded. Henry, having his books already packed up, was out of his seat like a shot and was the first student out of the room.

Mary Margaret shook her head in amusement, wondering what the rush was about.

Henry reached the front of the school in record time and was grateful that David was a punctual person. He sat in his truck out front, waiting for Henry.

Racing across the schoolyard, Henry flung the door open and jumped inside. “Hey, David! Let’s go.”

David laughed at his enthusiasm. “What’s the rush?”

“Mom’s doing something for me and I’ve been waiting all day. Come on – hurry!”

Starting the engine and putting the truck in gear, David pulled out with a smile. Something had definitely changed with Henry, and whatever it was, it was great to see him this excited and happy.

* * *

Regina jumped slightly as the front door was thrown open and an excited Henry came barreling up the stairs, not even stopping to kick off his shoes. His backpack was tossed to the side as he ran into the house yelling, “Mom, mom! Did you talk to her? Did you tell her?”

Regina glanced up to see an amused David walking through the front door, which had been left wide open. He shrugged. “He couldn’t wait to get home.”

“I did,” Regina told Henry. “We talked earlier.”

“And?” Henry pressed.

“And it worked.”

“It did?” Henry practically jumped in the air. “I knew it would! I told you!” He grinned widely. “Where is she?”

“Well, she had to go back to work, but I told her she could stop by after to see you.”

“Thank you, mom!” Henry threw his arms around her and hugged her tightly.

The affection helped alleviate the bitterness she felt at her son’s excitement to see Emma. Even having been assured that Henry wanted only her for his mother, Regina couldn’t help but feel the lingering fear that Emma would take her place in her son’s life.

“You’re welcome, Henry.”

Annie stepped into the kitchen then. “Hey, Henry.”

“Hi.” He smiled brightly at her. “Are you feeling better?”

“Yes. A lot better.”

“Good.”

“Well, it seems like everything is going well,” David said from the doorway. “Here, I was expecting the house to be in chaos,” he joked. “You know how you let things go around here sometimes.”

Regina chuckled. “Never. Thank you for bringing Henry home.”

“Just doing what I do every day. You guys gonna be okay if I take off?”

“Aww,” Henry whined. “Do you have to? Can’t you stay for dinner?”

“Again?” David laughed. “I’d love to kiddo, but I have to get going.”

“Do you have a free minute?” Regina asked. She tried not to cringe as she said it. It had been a split second decision to ask him, but she figured as long as she was getting unwanted chores out of the way, she might as well do them all.

“Sure.” David followed her into the study while Annie helped Henry grab an afterschool snack.

Regina sat on one of the small couches while David sat across from her. She twisted her fingers together and said, “David…I know this probably isn’t any of my business but I wanted to talk to you about Mary Margaret.”

David opened his mouth to say something but Regina cut him off. “I know that I’ve been against the two of you being together, but she makes you happy. I understand that now. I was wrong to try to keep you apart.”

It certainly hadn’t been what David was expecting to hear. He opened and shut his mouth a few times before finally saying, “I’ve tried, Regina. She won’t forgive me for not standing by her after she was arrested and I don’t blame her. She didn’t stop believing me for one second when I was the one being accused.”

“Yes, but the evidence against her was overwhelming. It was enough to make anyone believe she’d done it.”

“I’m not sure that should matter.” David shook his head. “I mean, normally, of course it would. But this is Mary Margaret we’re talking about. How could anyone believe she’d murdered someone?”

“All the same,” Regina said, wanting this over with, “I don’t think you’ll be truly happy without her. You shouldn’t give up so easily. True love is worth fighting for.”

The look that flitted across her features made David reach for her hand. “Thank you, Regina. You’ve always been on my side. You’ll never know how grateful I am to you for that.”

She looked down with guilt. She was ashamed of the way she’d manipulated him, using him against Snow. He didn’t deserve any of it. Standing up, she pulled her hand back and schooled her features into a smile.

David saw through it and asked. “What’s the matter?”

It was amazing really, the way he could read her. The curse had really worked its magic and it made her feel vulnerable. “I don’t deserve your friendship,” she said simply.

Before she knew what was happening, David had crossed to her and pulled her into a tight hug. “Don’t ever say that,” he said sternly.

It caught her off guard and she tensed immediately. After a moment, she finally returned the hug and then pulled back. “Thank you.”

“No problem.” He smiled warmly at her and headed to the door. When he got to the entrance, he turned back to her. “For the record – it is your business. You’re my best friend and I will always appreciate your advice.”

She stood staring dumbly at the empty doorway after he’d gone, not entirely sure what to do with this new friendship. David would probably be upset with her for taking advantage of him while he was cursed if she allowed it to continue this way, but she wasn’t sure she was willing to give it up. Yes, he’d expressed that they were friends before the curse was cast, but he wasn’t quite to the point of forgiving her for all she’d done. She imagined this friendship was quite different from the one he’d had in mind and she found herself hoping that maybe, when the curse broke, he wouldn’t hate her for it.

She was jarred out of her thoughts by the sound of the phone ringing.

“Hello?”

“Regina, thank god you picked up!” Emma sounded frantic and it instantly put her on edge.

“Ms. Swan, what is going on?”

“I was out following up on a call when it happened. I swear I didn’t know that it would happen while I was gone.” Regina tapped her fingers impatiently, waiting for Emma to get to the point. “When I got back, Cora was gone.”

Regina’s stomach dropped and she felt an icy chill spread through her.

“Regina,” Emma continued. “She was released.”


	18. Chapter 18

Regina gripped the phone tightly. “How long ago was she released?”

“I’m not sure, about half an hour?”

“And I’m just finding out now?!” she screeched.

“Regina, I’m sorry! I told you, I didn’t know that it was happening! I would have called immediately if I’d known.”

A wave of terror washed over Regina when she heard Annie’s scream from the other room, followed by the strangled cry, “Regina!”

“Emma, get here now!” She yelled into the phone before dropping it and running to the kitchen. Annie was pressed against the refrigerator, frozen by fear, Henry next to her, staring at Cora, who was standing in the middle of the room.

“Who are you?” he yelled. “And what are you doing in my house?” He finally glanced over at Regina, noticing her standing frozen in the doorway. The expression of pure terror on her face frightened him. “Mom?” he cried out.

Cora turned slowly and smiled when she saw Regina. “Darling! Well, this is an interesting turn of events. You have a son? Might this be the Henry you were mentioning?”

“How did you find us?” Regina asked loudly, unable to keep all of the panic from her voice.

“Well, dear, it wasn’t difficult. I simply asked some of the members of your quaint little town to point me in the direction of the mayor’s house. They were quite helpful.”

Regina looked at Henry and Annie, who were both still standing frozen; terrified. “Both of you go upstairs.”

Henry inched his way over toward her. “Mom?” he asked in a scared voice.

“It’ll be okay. Just wait for me upstairs, okay? Don’t come down until I tell you to.”

He nodded and disappeared quickly up the stairs. Annie, however, was still paralyzed and Cora had used  the opportunity to move closer. “And who might this lovely young lady be?” she asked in a syrupy voice.

Annie whimpered.

“Get away from her, mother!” Regina growled, moving quickly across the room. She grasped Annie’s arm, drawing her attention. “Honey, go upstairs.”

Annie stared at her and then nodded wordlessly. She took one step before Cora moved in front of her.

“Could it be?” she asked scrutinizing Annie. “Did you find her after all of these years?” The question was directed at Regina but Cora’s eyes never left Annie.

Regina was quick to step between the two, reaching both arms back protectively to grasp Annie’s arms. “Leave. Now!” she barked.

Cora laughed. “So it is. Clever girl. How did you find out?”

Regina and Annie were both grateful when Emma suddenly appeared in the kitchen. Seeing Regina’s protective stance, she drew her gun. “Don’t move,” she said, aiming it at Cora.

“I’ve done nothing wrong, dear,” Cora said, smiling widely.

Emma glanced at Regina. “Tell me that’s not true. Give me a reason to take her in.”

“It’s not,” Regina said, relieved at having a reason to put her mother back into a cell. “She entered my home without my knowledge and without my permission. She scared my children.”

Emma had noticed the open front door on her way in. “Henry?” she asked with alarm.

“He’s okay,” Regina assured her. “I sent him upstairs.”

“Okay.” Emma walked toward Cora. “Turn around and place your hands on the counter.”

“Excuse me?” Cora asked.

“You heard me! Do it!” Emma barked. “I will hurt you if I have to.”

The minute her hands touched the counter, Emma was yanking them forcefully behind her back, securing them with handcuffs. “You’re under arrest. I’ll explain the charges, read you your rights and explain them to you on our ride to the station. What you just did here is breaking a law in this world.” She yanked Cora roughly by the shoulders, pushing her out in front.

“Thank you, Ms. Swan,” Regina said shakily.

“You’re welcome,” Emma told her. “I’ll be back once I get her processed.”

Regina nodded. “Henry’s expecting you.”

When the front door had shut, Regina spun around and placed her hands on either side of Annie’s face. She leveled her gaze at her and asked, “Are you alright?”

Annie shook her head before breaking into tears and burying her head in Regina’s shoulder, her hands tightly clutching the fabric of Regina’s shirt.

“Shhh,” Regina soothed. “It’s alright now. It’ll be okay. We’re okay.” She rubbed her back and fought her own tears. Even without magic, Cora had a way of bringing a sense of terror and doom wherever she went. Regina was quickly transported to that terrible night when she’d lost both Daniel and Annie. She never wanted to feel that way again. She’d do anything to never repeat the experience.

It was exactly that which had led her to become the feared Evil Queen, friends only with magic and the darkness. This time was different. She had a reason to fight. She had Annie and Henry, and she wasn’t going to let anything change that.

* * *

Graham looked up when he heard the door open and stood quickly when he saw Emma ushering Cora back in in handcuffs. “What happened?”

“She walked right in to Regina’s house without knocking. Scared Henry and Annie.”

Cora’s eyes sparkled. She’d been sure that it was Annie, but now she knew without a doubt.

“Are they okay?” Graham asked worriedly.

“Yeah, just a little shaken.”

“Normally mothers don’t need an invitation to enter their daughters’ homes,” Cora pointed out.

“Yeah, well from what I’ve heard, you’re a mother in the loosest sense of the word.”

“I’ve done nothing but look out for my daughter’s best interests!”

Emma finished unlocking the handcuffs, shoved her inside the cell and slammed the door, listening to the satisfying click of the lock settling into place. “I think you were looking out for your own best interests, despite the fact that you were ruining her life. Hers isn’t the only life you ruined!”

Cora looked up sharply, understanding the implication, and shocked at the sudden change in the blonde woman. Earlier today, she’d expressed distaste for Regina, confusion over Cora’s sudden strange appearance, and a general lack of understanding as to what was really going on. Cora had been sure she had no memory of their world or who anyone was. She now seemed to understand perfectly, and Cora wondered how it had changed so quickly, and why.

Emma turned around to find Graham reaching for his jacket. “I’d better go check on them,” he was saying, concern clear on his face.

“No,” Emma stopped him. “It’s okay. I’m supposed to go back there. Henry’s waiting. Would you mind doing the paperwork on this for me?”

Graham paused but then nodded. “Sure, I’ll do it.”

“Thank you,” Emma said sincerely. “I’ll see you later. I owe you one.”

“You certainly do,” Graham smiled. “And don’t think I’ll forget. I hate paperwork.”

“I know you do,” Emma laughed.

In the car, Emma’s thoughts immediately returned to Henry. Knowing Cora didn’t have magic was little comfort to her if the woman wasn’t safely contained behind bars. It sounded like Regina’s mother was nothing but a manipulative, dangerous woman, and people like that didn’t need magic to cause trouble.

She pressed further down on the accelerator, ignoring the speed limits. She was the police after all, though she held back from using the siren. Even with Cora back at the station and locked up, she couldn’t help but think of what might have happened. Regina would have fought her mother, of that she had no doubt, but the fear in the woman’s eyes made her second-guess whether she would have been able to win.


	19. Chapter 19

Mary Margaret jumped when there was a knock on the door. She hadn’t been expecting company. Pulling open the door, she frowned. “David.”

“Hi,” he said sheepishly. “Sorry if I’m interrupting anything.”

“I was doing dishes.”

They stood there awkwardly, looking at one another, not sure who was expected to say something next. After what felt like several minutes, Mary Margaret sighed heavily. “David, was there something you wanted?”

He rubbed a hand over his hair awkwardly before shoving both hands into his pockets. “I just was wondering if we could talk.”

She could have said no and shut the door. She could, but she didn’t. “Alright,” she finally said, nodding. Stepping aside to let him in, she offered him something to drink.

David shook his head. “No, thank you.”

They sat down across from each other and there were several more awkward moments before David realized that Mary Margaret was waiting for him to say something.

“I know that sorry isn’t good enough,” he started out.

She started to interrupt him and by the expression on her face, she wasn’t going to listen to any more apologies.

“I know!” he continued. “But I don’t know where else to start. I truly am sorry. I was stupid and I should have said something. There was so much going on at the time; I was worried about Kathryn, I’d just been accused of murder, all of those ridiculous pieces of evidence kept coming to light and I was confused. I know that’s no excuse, but I wanted to tell you what was going on inside my head at the time. I should have stood by you, because the truth is that I _was_ on your side, as I always will be. I guess that’s what I came over here to tell you. It doesn’t matter if you forgive me or not – though I really hope you will. I will always be on your side, and I wanted you to know that. I love you, Mary Margaret, and I really want this to work; I’ll do anything to make it work. But if you can look me in the eye and say this isn’t something you want, that you don’t love me anymore and that you’re done, I will walk away. I just want you to be happy.”

Mary Margaret’s eyes watered as she tried to hold back tears. David had a talent for confusing everything. She’d been thinking about her own feelings throughout his speech, and the truth was, she wasn’t finished trying. She’d told him the other night that she was done, but it had been in the heat of the moment; everything had still been too fresh. So she found herself nodding. “Okay. Let’s try this again.”

She’d said it so quietly, and because it had been the answer he’d wanted so desperately, he almost worried that he hadn’t heard her correctly. “Really? You want to give us another chance?”

She smiled just the tiniest bit. He was filled with so much hope, and it made her realize just how honest he was being. “Yes. I do.”

He stood up quickly, grinning, before sitting back down again, not sure what to do with himself.

“Really?” he asked again, laughing a little with giddiness. He’d been so convinced that she was going to say no that he hadn’t allowed himself to think about what would happen if she said yes.

She broke into a full grin, “Really.”

He took a step toward her, intending to hug her, but stopped himself, not sure if it was appropriate so quickly after his apology had been accepted. They still had a lot to work through, so he decided to ask, “Is it alright if I hug you?”

In answer, she stepped up close and wrapped her arms around him tightly. “That can be the last time you ever have to ask that question,” she told him.

She closed her eyes and allowed herself to forget about the events of the past few weeks. That brought her thoughts to the woman who’d been at the root of all of this. “What is Regina going to say?” she asked suddenly, still leaning into him.

“She’ll be fine with it.”

She leaned back and it was her turn to ask “Really?” Yes, they’d been best friends forever, but Regina had hated the thought of their relationship and had attempted to break them up at every turn.

“Yeah. Actually, I just came from there and she encouraged me not to give up. She said she can tell that you make me happy and she doesn’t want to stand in the way of that.”

“And she just decided that _now_?” Mary Margaret asked skeptically. “After all of this time?”

“Hey,” David said, throwing his hands in the air. “I’m not going to question it.”

“Do you think she’s up to something?”

David shook his head. “With anyone else, maybe, but not with me. She’s my best friend. I know that she doesn’t really get along with anyone else in town, but she’s never done anything to intentionally hurt me.”

That was something Mary Margaret had always found interesting. David and Regina were total opposites in almost every way, and yet, they had been best friends for as long as she could remember. In fact, she couldn’t remember how they’d started being friends in the first place. However it had happened, she knew that it was true; Regina would never scheme with David like she did with everyone else.

Mary Margaret stepped fully away from David but smiled up at him. “I’m glad you stopped by.”

“So am I.”

“We’re going to have to take this slow.”

“No problem. I’ll let you call all the shots.”

She smiled. “In that case, how about dinner tomorrow night? We can call it our second first date. Start fresh.”

“Sounds good to me. Pick you up at eight?”

David stepped into the hall and Mary Margaret leaned against the open door. “Perfect.”

He waved to her and headed down the stairs with a lot more spring in his step. Things were definitely looking up.


	20. Chapter 20

Henry was fast asleep on the couch between Regina and Emma who were both intensely uncomfortable with the situation. Annie was on Regina’s other side. They had been watching a movie – at the request of Henry, who had wanted to escape for a little while. No one had felt like talking about the curse or the visit from Cora. Annie had her head propped against Regina’s shoulder, feeling the beginnings of a headache again.

“Annie?” Regina asked, turning the volume down. “Are you alright? Are you feeling sick again?”

“A little,” Annie told her honestly. “The headache’s back.”

“Why don’t we go to bed?”

Annie nodded against her shoulder.

“I’ll take off,” Emma said, standing and stretching her shoulders back. She seemed relieved to have an excuse to leave.

Henry stirred, the movement waking him. “Emma?” he asked sleepily. He opened his eyes slowly, blinking against the light. “Are you leaving?”

“Yeah, Henry. But we can talk again tomorrow. It’s late; I should be getting home.” Her voice wavered on the word home. As she was saying it, she was remembering that the apartment she called home was the one she shared with her mother. She hadn’t found the proper time to deal with that in the chaos that had ensued after the curse broke. They’d found a comfortable position on it by completely avoiding the topic – well, comfortable for her at least. She knew that Mary Margaret – or Snow, rather – felt quite differently. Knowing that her roommate was once again clueless as to the state of their familial relationship was strangely heartbreaking and comforting all at the same time. It meant that she could put off confronting those feelings for that much longer.

Regina caught the flutter of emotion behind Emma’s words and studied her. It made Emma squirm, but much to her relief, that’s as far as it went. Regina made no comment on the matter.

Henry stood slowly, still groggy from sleep and hugged Emma. “I’m really glad you remember again.”

“Me too, Henry.” She didn’t tell him about the confusion of the two lives crashing together, mixing in with the still brand new revelations of her origins. Yes, it had lessened in the few hours since she’d been brought out of the curse by Regina, but it was still there. She worried that it always would be. She didn’t want to burden him with the information that she was suffering because of remembering. Grateful that Henry wouldn’t have to suffer the same outcome, she kept her mouth shut.

Regina noticed Henry sway just the tiniest bit on his feet. It was clear he was still fighting against how tired he was. “Come on, Henry, let’s get you to bed.”

He didn’t argue as she stepped up beside him. In fact, he leaned into her, blinking heavily. “Okay.” He yawned and Emma took that as her cue.

“I’ll let myself out. Goodnight.”

“’Night, Emma,” Henry said sleepily.

“Goodnight,” Annie said. She quickly made her way up the stairs, eager to try to prevent the headache this time.

“Goodnight, Ms. Swan,” Regina said finally, pulling Henry toward the stairs.

Emma rolled her eyes. She was almost to the door when she heard, “Mom, does this mean I don’t have to brush my teeth?”

“I don’t think so, mister. Nice try, though.”

Emma stifled a laugh and pulled the door shut. She was grateful that Regina wasn’t trying to stop her from seeing Henry.  She only hoped they’d be able to figure out an arrangement for after the curse was broken again. Mary Margaret and David were sure to complicate the situation.

Pushing those thoughts to the back of her head, she started for her car. She found herself considering things she’d never dreamt she would be. As much as she’d feared the town being put under the curse, she now found herself wondering if this wasn’t better? She mentally slapped herself for thinking such a thing about all of the people who’d become her friends.

…but still…

She couldn’t completely shake the feeling that this was somehow safer. At least, for the walls that she’d carefully constructed around herself her entire life. Keeping herself from both the side of wanting the curse to break and not, she allowed herself to settle in the middle; she was in no hurry to break this curse.

* * *

Annie and Henry had been asleep for a few hours. Regina, finding she couldn’t sleep, was propped up against her headboard with a book. She might as well have been staring at the wall. She’d already read the same sentence about fifty times. She just couldn’t bring herself to focus. Which was probably how she was able to hear the very faint knock on the front door downstairs. She jumped, wondering who would be coming by this late. She panicked a bit, her mind going immediately to Cora. She reminded herself all the way down the stairs that her mother was safely locked away in a cell, but it wasn’t helping. This _was_ her mother after all and very little could stop Cora when she wanted something. Regina paused with her hand on the doorknob to take a deep breath. Whatever was waiting for her on the other side of the door, she could handle. With that thought, she pulled it wide open, coming face to face with the last person she’d expected to see – though maybe she shouldn’t have been so surprised. On her front porch stood none other than Sheriff Graham.

“I wanted to check on you,” he said, stepping in. “Regina, I’m so sorry about what happened this afternoon. If I’d known—”

“It’s alright, Graham. Thank you for your concern.” Graham’s presence made her instantly uncomfortable. She avoided eye contact; all she could think about was their last meeting. How he’d screamed at her – called her out on every fear she’d been having. Worse, she felt the phantom beat of his heart in her hand and it’s quickening as she crushed it into dust. She flinched and asked, “Is that all?”

“No.”

The next moment, he had his lips pressed against hers, one hand around her waist, pulling her closer. The other he placed on the back of her neck, slowly sliding his fingers up into her hair.

She found herself responding for a moment. This kiss was filled with so much more feeling than any of the others they’d shared. _‘I’ve realized that I don’t feel anything, Regina. And I know now it’s not me, it’s you.’_ The words filtered back to her, painfully reminding her of that night. She pulled out of the embrace. “No – stop,” she said gently.

His arm remained around her waist as he asked, “What’s wrong?”

“This,” she gestured between the two of them. “Graham, we can’t.”

He sighed. “You’re right. I shouldn’t have come over tonight. It’s just that, after everything that happened today, I thought you—”

“It’s not just tonight, Graham. We shouldn’t do this at all.”

He brought his other hand to her shoulder, rubbing it down her arm. “What’s going on, Regina? This isn’t about Annie and Henry, is it? They don’t have to find out about us if you don’t want them to. We’ve managed to keep it a secret this far.”

“No…Graham, I just can’t do this. You deserve so much better than me. Someone you can feel something for.”

“But, Regina.” He pulled her in a little closer. “I feel something for _you_.”

She tensed and pushed him back, suddenly feeling the very _real_ beat of his heart under her hand. She jerked it back. She’d forgotten – though this version of the curse was very similar to before, this time, Graham had his heart. He could feel again. That had been the one safe bet with Graham; she hadn’t had to worry about him developing any real feelings for her. “Graham, listen to me. I need you to remember what I say.”

He frowned in confusion when he saw tears forming in her eyes. Slowly, he nodded.

“What you feel for me is just an illusion,” she started. “You have a good heart, Graham. You need someone who will treat it carefully.” She looked down quickly. “Not like me.” Finally, she dragged her eyes up to meet his, and put everything she had into her next words. “I’m sorry, Graham.” Her voice cracked. “I’m so, so sorry. If I could take it all back, I would.”

Graham blinked. “Regina, I don’t understand…”

“You will,” she told him. “I know that you will never forgive me, but I wanted you to know how I felt.”

“Regina, what do you think you need to be forgiven for?”

His words were so kind and gentle; they only cut her more deeply.

“Everything.” She wiped away a stray tear with the back of her hand. “Goodbye, Graham.”

He wanted to stay and comfort her, but her tone was final, leaving no room for argument. As the front door closed behind him, he had a strange feeling that their conversation had gone much deeper than her ending things with him. He hadn’t understood her words, but something inside of him was on the edge of it. He turned back to look at the large white house and knew that they really were through.


	21. Chapter 21

Regina went to check on Annie the next morning only to find her room empty. After a quick look to make sure Henry was still sleeping soundly in his bed, Regina made her way downstairs to find a very eerie sight; Annie was standing behind the counter, dark circles under her eyes, a blank expression on her face, except for the occasional cringe of pain. All the makings of a bowl of cereal were laid out in front of her and her hand was on the gallon of milk as if she’d been about to pick it up. However, there was no movement.

“Annie?” Regina asked, worry coating her tone.

Annie made no response. The expression on her face didn’t even change.

“Annie!” Regina called, louder this time. When Annie still didn’t respond, she crossed quickly to the girl, fully alarmed by this point. “Annie!” she shouted, shaking her shoulder.

Jumping violently, Annie gasped. Suddenly feeling how frozen her hand was after having been on the cold gallon of milk for so long, she yanked it away with a small yelp and tucked it against herself.

Regina pulled it away and was shocked to feel how cold it was. “Honey! How long have you been standing like this?! Your hand is freezing!” She rubbed it quickly between her own hands to warm it up.

Annie finally focused on Regina, only now realizing what it was that had brought her out of her state. “Regina?”

Feelings of dread ran through Regina. Something was very wrong. This was no ordinary illness. “Annie, what’s going on?”

Unexpectedly, Annie burst into tears. “It hurts. It hurts so much. They’re all trying to talk to me, but I can’t hear them. There’s too many of them and their voices all blend together.”

This panicked Regina. “Who, honey? Whose voices are you hearing?”

“I don’t know!” Annie wailed. “I started hearing them in my dreams and then they were still there when I woke up. They keep getting louder and they won’t go away!”

Regina did the only thing she could think of and wrapped her arms around Annie.

After a few moments, Annie’s cries quieted to shuddering breaths. She closed her eyes and leaned her head on Regina’s shoulder. Just as before, when she’d felt nauseous, the proximity of Regina made the pain fade. It didn’t go away completely, but it dropped down to a dull throbbing, the voices moving to the back of her mind so that it was easier to focus.

Regina noticed the change as Annie relaxed into her arms, turning her head and settling it into the most comfortable position. They stayed like that for several minutes before Annie finally pulled back. Regina noticed the exhaustion on Annie’s face, despite the fact that she’d just slept the entire night. She looked terrible and Regina could only think of one thing to do. “I’m going to talk to Maleficent.”

Annie’s eyes snapped up. “Why? Do you think she can help?”

“I don’t know. But if anyone will have an idea about what’s going on, it will be her. We have to figure something out. Annie, whatever is happening to you must have something to do with magic. That’s the only logical explanation for your dreams and these voices.”

“And why you make it better,” Annie added.

Regina blinked in surprise. “I do?”

“Yes. Whenever you’re close, things numb a little. Everything’s still there, but there isn’t as much pain attached to it.”

Even though Annie had definitely appeared better both times, Regina had assumed it had something to do with the mere presence of someone else – giving the mind something to focus on aside from the pain. The idea that she was actually _physically_ removing the pain – though only temporarily – convinced her further that this was a side-effect of some kind of magic. Somehow, her magic blocked those effects. Her mind reeled as she searched it for any kind of cause. Could it have something to do with the curse? It hadn’t affected Annie the first time. Then again, she hadn’t remembered who she was the first time. Did it have something to do with Regina herself? But that didn’t make sense, either. She seemed to be a kind of bandage _against_ it. Besides that, she’d spent just as much time with Annie before. That’s when it hit her. The only changing variable; it was Cora. And Annie had started feeling sick right about the time Cora had come through. Maleficent was a variable as well. She, however, seemed to be on Annie’s side and had been there before Annie started getting the headaches. Fresh waves of anger and hatred rolled over Regina. Annie was an innocent child, and yet, Cora couldn’t seem to let her find peace. She’d taken hit after hit, and still Cora came after her. Regina would definitely have to talk to Maleficent. Maybe she would have some kind of insight into how Cora was able to do this without her magic. More importantly, she might have some idea how to stop it.

“Will you be alright if I leave for a while to speak with Maleficent?”

Annie bit her lip. “I think so. I feel a lot better right now.”

Regina didn’t want to take Annie along in case Maleficent had bad news. She wanted to be able to shield Annie from it. But she couldn’t just leave her here, either. What if the pain came back? That’s when an idea struck. If her magic could block Annie’s pain, then maybe any magic could. Who else had magic? Gold was absolutely out of the question. That left…Emma. Joy. She dialed the woman’s cell, knowing it was likely too early for her to be at the station.

Sure enough, a grumpy, gravelly voice answered after about the fourth ring. “Hello?”

“Ms. Swan, I need you to do me a favor.”

“Regina?”

“Who else would it be?” Regina snapped.

“Well I don’t know, _Madame Mayor_ ,” she rasped out. “I would’ve checked caller ID, but it’s too early to open my eyes.”

Under normal circumstances, Regina would have turned this into an argument, but now was hardly the time. Instead, she got straight to the point. “Annie’s sick. It’s something magical – regular medicine isn’t going to work. I have to leave to find out more about it and _you_ are the only one who can watch her. I can explain further when you arrive.”

The urgency in Regina’s voice roused Emma completely from her sleep state. “I’ll be there in ten minutes.”

“Thank you.”

The next phone call Regina made was to David to ask if he could make sure Henry got off to school okay. It would have been something Emma could handle, except that Regina wanted her full attention on Annie. She explained the situation to him – leaving out the magical illness, of course. He agreed immediately. Now she just had to wait and hope that Maleficent would have some answers for her. If not, she’d have to go directly to the source: her mother. The thought made her shiver. She sat down and tapped her fingers on the table. Ten minutes had never passed more slowly. Finally, Emma appeared, and by the time Regina had finished explaining why the need for Emma was so specific, David had arrived. Regina said a quick goodbye. She asked David to let Henry know she was sorry she’d left without waking him. Then she was out the door quick – focused only on how to fix this problem.

* * *

Emma was doing everything she could to calm Annie down. Regina had only been gone for half an hour and already, the girl had completely fallen apart. She was crying loudly and pressing both hands firmly against her head. Emma had already tried what Regina had told her – wrapping her arms around Annie – but it had done nothing. James was now hovering uselessly, looking desperate to help, but nothing could be done. He didn’t even fully understand what was happening.

“Should we call a doctor?” he asked, looking at Emma.

“No.” Emma had to nearly shout to be heard over Annie’s cries. “We need to call Regina.” She pulled her cellphone out and dialed the number.

Regina picked up almost immediately. “What’s wrong?” replaced the normal greeting.

“It’s Annie.” Nothing more had to be said. Annie could be clearly heard in the background.

“I’m on my way,” Regina told her quickly before hanging up.

* * *

Regina pulled into the driveway with tires screeching as Maleficent closed her eyes tightly. Regina had insisted she come along. Running up the pathway, it didn’t take more than a few steps to hear that Annie’s cries had become screams in the time it had taken Regina to drive home. Maleficent even gave her a concerned glance as Regina hurriedly pushed open the door.

It was worse than she had expected.

Unable to do anything about the situation, Emma and James were standing slightly off to the side, watching Annie with horror. James, between his terrified glances, was attempting – unsuccessfully – to drag Henry away from the scene.

Annie was curled on the floor, her hands fisted over her ears. Her screams could turn anyone’s blood to ice water. “Make them stop! Why won’t they stop?!” The only thing that punctuated her screams were the sobbing breaths she took, gasping for air.

Regina dropped to the ground next to her and gathered her into her arms. She stayed silent, knowing that any attempt to say something would result in her own emotional collapse. She couldn’t believe she’d left Annie. How could she have been so stupid?

Minutes passed and Regina worried that this wasn’t working. She glanced up at Maleficent, who looked as if she was about to say something, but stopped when Annie choked out the first word that wasn’t screamed.

“Regina?”

“I’m here, honey. I’m here.”

“Don’t go.” She gripped Regina tightly.

“I won’t. I promise. I’m so sorry,” Regina cried.

James finally managed to get Henry up the stairs, though they both glanced back down repeatedly.

Annie’s eyes darted around quickly in fear, as if in search of the owners of the voices in her head. The circles under her eyes had darkened considerably, contrasting harshly with her now pale skin. Her screams had stopped, but her eyes never stopped their searching pattern.

It sent chills through everyone in the room.

Emma watched some kind of silent, foreboding exchange between Maleficent and Regina, before Maleficent said, “You should hurry. I don’t believe she has much time.”

“Will she be strong enough to make the journey?” Regina asked unsteadily, to which Maleficent replied grimly,

“She’ll have to be.”


	22. Chapter 22

“Can you help me get her up?” Regina asked Emma from the floor.

Emma helped pull Annie up from under her shoulders, her weight equally divided between the two as she didn’t seem to be able to handle it on her own.

“Do you need help getting her to the car?” Emma asked.

“We’re not going to the car,” Regina replied.

“But I thought you said you were going somewhere?”

“We are. Hopefully. Please tell Henry that I love him. You can explain that I’m trying to help Annie, but don’t explain how. Maleficent will explain it to you. I need you to make sure that Henry is taken care of.”

“Regina—” Emma said, starting to panic, “you sound like you’re not coming back.”

“Where we’re going – we might not be.” There was suddenly a fire in her eyes. “But if we succeed, it will be well worth the trip. I just want to make sure that, no matter what – you’ll take good care of Henry.”

“Of course I will,” Emma promised softly.

Regina nodded and then shifted her weight slightly so she could look at Annie more easily. “Annie, honey?”

Annie’s head followed the movement of her eyes as the continued to randomly search the room. It seemed to be the only movement she was capable of. Tears fell in lines down her face, though her facial expression was eerily blank, and she was completely silent. She’d taken no notice of anyone speaking to her.

“Annie!” Regina used her free hand to grab Annie’s chin and force her to look at her. “I need you to focus.”

Annie blinked a few times. It took a tremendous effort, but she was finally able to concentrate on Regina.

“You have to take us to the Hall of Doors again.”

Annie let out a small whimper. “I can’t!” Her eyes started to wander again.

“No, no! Annie—” Regina pulled the girl’s head back again. “Honey, we have to do this.”

A few pitiful sobs escaped before Annie was able to whisper, “It’s too hard. I can’t.”

“You can!” Regina said forcefully. “Come on, Annie, concentrate! I’m right here with you. You can do it.” She nodded at Emma, who helped move Annie completely into Regina’s arms before stepping back.

Annie’s eyes were shut tightly, sweat beading on her forehead as she painfully focused everything she had on their destination.

A violent scream ripped through the air and Annie collapsed into Regina, unconscious. Regina stumbled, struggling to lower them carefully to the ground. No one rushed forward to help.

Because it had worked.

When Regina looked up, she cried out in relief. “You did it, Annie!” She very carefully moved the still unconscious girl into a more comfortable position. She would most likely be unconscious for awhile, and it was for the best. It would be better for her not to know what would happen next. Regina pulled out her phone. It didn’t get service, of course, but she didn’t need it to. She opened the notepad and typed out a note with a vague explanation and short, but detailed instructions to follow upon her waking. She tucked the phone into Annie’s hand. “You’ve done your part. Now it’s my turn.” She kissed Annie’s forehead before turning to face her final destination.

Final destination; a morbidly appropriate term for where she was going. The temperature dropped as she approached, and she was suddenly glad that she was wearing slacks and a jacket rather than a skirt or dress.

She fought back her fear as she came to a stop in front of the plain, black double doors. She reached for the handle and pulled.

* * *

“What’s in there?” fourteen year old Regina asked Jefferson in a hushed tone. They were huddled in the forest, hidden from prying eyes. Jefferson had sought her out after her lessons. His father had finally told him what lay behind those ominous black doors.

Regina leaned forward anxiously, a mixture of fear and curiosity making her stomach flutter.

“It’s horrible, Regina. It’s more horrible than I could ever have imagined.” His expression showed the truth of his words and Regina suddenly became aware of how dark it was in the trees. Sunlight didn’t reach the forest floor where they were and she wished that they hadn’t come so far in. Maybe it wouldn’t have been so terrible if someone had caught them and Jefferson was unable to share his new-found knowledge with her. Alice had even refused to follow, already privy to the information.

A twig nearby snapped loudly and both she and Jefferson jumped. Regina bit her tongue to keep from screaming. A second later, a small rabbit hopped into view. It twitched its nose before catching sight of them and freezing. After being still for a moment, it seemed to decide escape was the best option and scampered away quickly.

Regina let out a breath and straightened up. Regina Mills was no coward. She steeled herself and looked back to Jefferson. “Tell me.”

* * *

Regina jumped as the doors slammed shut behind her, plunging the world into darkness. She’d only glimpsed what lay beyond – a sort of hallway. It was hard to tell; everything had been black and there didn’t appear to be any seams where floor met wall and wall met ceiling. She knew enough to know that the only way was forward. She walked for what felt like several minutes. Nothing happened. She hadn’t run into anything, but she still couldn’t see anything, either. Her eyes hadn’t adjusted. There was nothing for them to adjust to. It was dizzying for there to be no change in light between having your eyes closed and open. Her steps slowed slightly as she worried she’d somehow gone the wrong way and become lost. She froze in her tracks a moment later, heart pounding, when she heard the first noise since stepping into this world – if that’s how it could be described. It resembled a scream, but it sounded neither animal nor human. It was a sound that raised goose bumps on Regina’s arms and sent shivers down her spine. She wanted to run away from that sound and this world, but she couldn’t. Her purpose here was too important.

As she went to move forward, the sinister atmosphere clashed violently with the sense of vertigo that accompanied this world. She grew so dizzy, she felt as if she were drowning in her terror. It was far worse than anything she’d ever experienced and she found herself toppling over. Against all logic, she didn’t hit ground. Where her feet had just been, there was now nothing and she was sent into a free-fall. At least, she felt as if she were falling. She couldn’t be sure in the blackness. She screamed, but nothing came out. The black – having allowed the inhuman scream before – now swallowed noise as well as sight. She was right to think this wouldn’t be the worst of it. Noise was back – though her screams were still silent – and this time it was closer. Whatever she’d heard earlier must have been beneath her, and it wasn’t alone. Slowly, more voices were added into the mix, creating a terrifying chorus of misery. A shadow flicked past her and she recoiled in fear. Then another. She _felt_ the shadow brush against her arm as she fell. It seemed to reach for her as it passed, but she blessedly slipped through. More shadows appeared, and in combination with the screams that were now directly next to her ears, she realized that the shadows themselves were the source of the sound. The screams raised in volume as the number of shadows increased, some taking frightening, crippled shapes with arms that tried to grab ahold of her own. She cried out silently and clamped her hands over her ears as the noise became deafening. Dark hands of the shadows reached, sliding through her, pulling out all of her hope.

She forgot Annie, she forgot Henry, she forgot anyone who had ever mattered to her. She forgot any reason she had to live, and without that, there was nothing left. Feeling nothing but emptiness, she surrendered to the darkness.

* * *

Regina opened her eyes slowly. Everything hurt. It was pouring rain; that’s what had woken her up. Rain was pelting her violently – she was already completely soaked. But why? Her mind seemed to swim through fog as she fought desperately to remember how she’d gotten here. Wherever ‘here’ was. She pulled herself up slowly, propping herself back on her elbows as she looked around. She was on the edge of a high cliff that dropped down to a turbulent, stormy ocean. Everything was shades of black and gray – the water, the sky, the muddy ground beneath her.

“Everyone forgets.”

Regina jumped and turned, pulling herself into a sitting position. The most beautiful woman she’d ever seen stood before her, a long black dress flowing around her slight frame. It took a moment to realize why there seemed to be something wrong with her – the color of her skin. If cold were a color, this would be it. That was the only way to describe it. Her eyes were completely black, the irises lost in them. Hair just as dark would reach her waist, but was now twisting out in the wind of the storm.

Something about the way it moved sparked something in Regina. Black twisting figures – hands reaching out to her – through her. She’d been falling! But how had she ended up here? “Who are you?” she asked coldly.

The woman tilted her head and considered her carefully. A spark of interest flashed in her eyes. On her, it was not a good expression. Whoever she was, she was no friend to Regina. That much was clear.

“Well, now,” she finally spoke. “You do surprise me. It seems you’ve gained your memories back after all. You have strong ties to your world. Henry and Annie?”

Regina hated the way she said the names; mockingly as if she were just playing with Regina. Rather like an animal might play with its food before killing it. “You didn’t answer my question,” she growled. “Who are you?”

Rather than answer the question, the woman said, “It’s a shame you’ll never see them again. I have been here since this world began, and in all that time, few have ever returned for those they’ve damned. Even fewer remember their purpose in coming. However, none have ever escaped.”

Regina suppressed all of the painful emotion swirling inside her and focused solely on her love. She used it to channel her focus. What she was doing here was more important than anything else. “That’s not true,” she said, raising an eyebrow. “Maleficent escaped.”

The woman seemed amused. “Maleficent didn’t escape. She was much smarter than you. She had a deal worked out _before_ she came here. She damned herself to this world. Surely she told you. No one escapes this place.”

“I’ve heard it from others – yes.”

“You should have listened to them.” She watched Regina, waiting for a response, but receiving none, decided to continue. “What you seek is down there, in the water.” She gestured to the turbulent waves below.

“And what reason would I have to believe you?”

“No matter what you do, you’ll never escape. Seeing you try only amuses me more. What reason would I have to lie?”

“To watch me suffer.”

The woman smiled. “There will be plenty of time for that – eternity, in fact.”

Regina ignored her. “How do I get down there?” It was a straight vertical drop down the cliff and there wasn’t a way down as far as the eye could see.

“You jump.”

“But that would kill me!” Regina argued.

The woman laughed without humor. “No one dies here. That’s the whole point of this world. Though it might hurt a bit.”

Regina walked away from the edge quickly.

“I didn’t think you’d be able to do it,” the woman sneered, but just as she finished, Regina nearly knocked her over as she raced toward the edge.

Without stopping to think, Regina took a flying leap off the edge of the cliff.

For a moment, she was screaming, terrified, as the water grew closer. Her screams had volume this time and she was strangely comforted to hear them echoing off the wall of the cliff. The feeling and the noise helped distract her from the fear. She quickly realized, however, that she would need to conserve her air for when she hit the water. The thought of not being able to breathe underwater while in a world where you couldn’t die sounded painful and traumatic. She supposed that was the point of this world. To create as much pain as possible. She drew a breath just before hitting the water. The woman had been right – it hurt. It hurt a lot. It was all she could do to keep from letting the air out of her lungs at the force of the impact, but she somehow managed it. She was plunged so deep into the freezing water that there was very little light. She couldn’t tell which direction was up. She tried not to panic as she carefully looked around, but she couldn’t really see anything. The force from the waves above – whichever direction that was – was keeping her from naturally floating to the surface. Then she saw them. They were like mermaids, but different; darker. They swam faster, had beady eyes and sharp fangs that glinted in the water. They sneered at her as they approached, a hungry look in their eyes. She chose a direction and swam as fast as she could. She must have picked the right one, because it was suddenly growing lighter. Not by much, but it was a noticeable difference. Finally, she could see the surface. It was only a foot away. She stretched for it and an arm wrapped around her leg, jerking her back down. Her hands flailed desperately, fighting against it, but she wasn’t going to win this fight.

* * *

“It’s a world for the dead?” Regina cried in distress.

“No,” Jefferson told her. “Not the dead – the damned.”

“What’s the difference?” Regina whispered. It sounded terrifying.

“Being damned is much, much worse,” Jefferson explained. “You can’t die. You’re forced to suffer for eternity.”

“Can’t anyone save them?” Regina asked fearfully. She couldn’t imagine eternity.

“Anyone who tries becomes trapped as well. No one has ever escaped. The only people who can come and go are the travelers, and they have strict laws against interfering. It upsets the natural balance or something.”

“How do they know who’s a traveler and who isn’t?”

“Actually—” Jefferson leaned in. “It’s just one woman who rules, and she knows everything. Or, she used to.”

“What do you mean?” Regina asked.

“Well, she and her sister once ruled together. They knew everything about everyone – past, present, and future. They saw things as they changed, whenever a new event unfolded.”

“So what happened?”

“One sister was unhappy with what they did. She betrayed her sister, and left with the secrets of the present and the future. She didn’t want her cruel sister to have any more power over people. As a result, the remaining sister can no longer see everything about anything but the past. And it takes her much longer than it used to.”

“What happened to the sister who left?”

“She became a famous storyteller – Scheherazade.”

“I’ve heard of her! But how did she escape?”

“No one knows.”

“What was the name of the other sister?”

“No one knows that, either. The only descriptions of her are from Scheherazade’s stories. They say that the sister is the most beautiful woman in all the worlds, but that she’s cursed because of her black heart. To get to her kingdom, you have to pass through the shadow lands.”

“Shadow lands?” Regina asked timidly.

“They say it’s blacker than night, filled with shadows that are actually all that’s left of the souls the wraiths have taken.”

They fell silent, both trembling just thinking about the very existence of such a dark world.

* * *

Just as Regina had run out of strength to fight, two strong hands plunged into the water from above, gripping her arms firmly. They pulled her out of the grasp of the merpeople and up into a small boat. She gasped for air, coughing and spluttering before she finally looked up. She’d intended to look at her rescuer but her attention was drawn instead to the man standing next to him.

“Hook?!”

“Well, well, well,” he said. “I never thought I’d run into you here, Your Majesty.” He reached out his good hand and pulled her roughly to him, giving her a quick but passionate kiss. He pulled back and grinned. “Now we’re even. Smee—” he commanded the other man. “Head for the ship.”

* * *

Queen Regina stared angrily through her mirror. “Well? Do we have a deal, or don’t we?”

Hook shook his head and laughed. “You should know – I never make a deal unless it’s in person.”

“That’s hardly possible,” Regina snapped, gesturing at the mirror.

Hook only smiled before snapping his fingers, “Smee!” he barked.

The timid man appeared a moment later, a small bag in his hands. He held it open to Hook, who reached inside and pulled out a small handful of whatever was inside. “Fairy dust,” he said, before sprinkling it onto the mirror. It began to glow and Hook stepped aside, gesturing for her to step through. “Your Majesty.”

To her surprise, it worked, and she found herself on the other side a moment later. “I don’t suppose we could add fairy dust to our deal?” she asked.

“It is extremely hard to come by. I’m afraid I can’t part with any of it.”

“No, I didn’t think so. Back to our original deal, then. I’ll tell you about Rumpelstiltskin once you’ve found out who kidnapped my father and where I can find them.”

“My, how you’ve grown,” Hook smiled. “And changed quite a bit, too. I wonder what your dear Lost Boys would think to see you now. The Evil Queen, making deals with Captain Hook. I do believe it’ll break their little hearts when I tell them.” He never stopped smiling.

Regina didn’t blink. After only a few seconds, she asked, “Are we through here, then? Is our deal done?”

“Not quite. We have to seal the deal, first.”

“Very well,” Regina agreed. She held out a hand to him.

He laughed, ignoring her outstretched hand and turned to look at all of the crew who were laughing along with him. “You see,” he said. “I only seal a deal with a kiss when it comes to women.”

The crew snickered and Hook waited for the inevitable blush and squirming. It never came. Instead, she was suddenly against him, arms around his neck as she kissed him deeply. The crew went silent, shocked by her actions. Before Hook could respond, she pulled back and walked to the mirror. Just before stepping through, she turned her head to look at him, smirking. “I do believe you drew more from this deal than I did. You owe me.” And then she was gone.

* * *

It seemed that this storm was never-ending. It was a fixture in this world as much as anything else. Regina had become numb to the cold by now, so the freezing rain no longer bothered her.

“What are you doing here?” Regina asked Hook. They’d settled across from each other.

“I work here.”

“Since when?” she asked, shocked. She couldn’t imagine how terrible it would be to spend even a day in this place.

“Long before I met you,” he laughed.

She couldn’t understand how he was laughing at a time like this. “How is that possible? No one can leave.”

“Common misconception. You see, this is a very unique world. It’s the only world with two entrances. At least, two _official_ entrances. The other, you can leave as you please. Unfortunately, I’m the only one who can cross between the doors, and I’m the only one not allowed to use the other door.”

She hadn’t known about the second door. “I don’t understand…If you can’t leave—”

“Your Majesty,” he shook his head in amusement. “You’re over-complicating it. I never left. This—” he moved his arms in a sweeping gesture to encompass everything around them. “All of this, is Neverland.”

Regina could only stare at him.

He laughed. “Did you think that tiny little island was the only one in the world? There is a great ocean between them, but I assure you, this is all one world. Why do you think the mermaids have such an important job of keeping the peace? You’ve just met their cousins. Not very nice, I know. You’ll have to excuse their rude behavior. They don’t care much for strangers.”

Regina glanced into the dark waters and fought back a shiver. Looking back at Hook, she asked, “Aren’t you going to ask me why _I’m_ here?”

“Oh, I already know why you’re here.”

Regina jumped as the boat hit the ship they’d been heading toward. She hadn’t even noticed their approach. She followed him up the ladder, Smee staying behind to secure the boat.

“How do you know why I’m here?” she asked, eyes narrowed. They’d reached the top and were now standing on the deck. She could feel the stares of the crew, but she didn’t care.

“Because,” he said, and the sudden gentleness of his tone took her by surprise. “I have what you came for.” He stepped aside.

Regina had been so focused on Hook, she hadn’t noticed the man standing behind him. Her breath caught in her throat. After a moment, she took a small step forward. “Daniel.”


	23. Chapter 23

“What do you mean it’s Daniel?! Is this your idea of a sick joke?!” Regina yelled. She’d come to Maleficent for help, not to be cruelly mocked.

“Regina!” Maleficent yelled to get her attention. She waited a moment for Regina to gather herself. “I’m telling you the truth.” Her expression was pain-filled and her tone gentle.

“But Daniel is dead!” Regina sat down heavily. Her world was spinning.

“No,” Maleficent said sadly, and Regina thought it was odd to be sad he wasn’t dead.

“How?”

Maleficent studied her for a minute. “When your mother killed Daniel, he didn’t really die.”

“Yes, he did!” Regina cried. “I was there. He was dead!”

“He certainly appeared that way, but Regina: he possessed a little of the healing property Annie was given as a child.” She sighed heavily. “This is a long story, Regina. If what you said about Annie is true, you don’t have that much time.”

“Where is he?” She was almost afraid to ask.

“Daniel’s back in the world I came out of. He’s in the world of the damned. As he has been for the last twenty-eight years.”

Regina opened her mouth, but nothing came out. She felt hot tears building, and she choked on the question she wanted to ask. Twenty-eight years. It was too exact to be a coincidence. “How did he get there?” she finally asked.

There was only silence.

“Tell me how he got there!” Regina yelled desperately. “Tell me!”

“You. It was the curse, Regina. You were willing to sacrifice everything, and that’s exactly what you did. He had to watch everything you’ve done since the day he died. That was his hell.” She watched as Regina collapsed in on herself. “I told you all of those years ago that casting this curse would leave a hole in your heart that could never be filled. But I was wrong. There’s still hope. You have Annie, and together, you can save him.”

Regina looked up slowly, hope warring disbelief. “It this is true, it can’t be Daniel doing this to Annie. He would never to anything to harm her!”

“He doesn’t know Annie’s alive. He can only see what you saw all those years ago; the curse is what linked you two together. Everything that happened after, he won’t know. I imagine these memories he’s communicating to her are subconsciously being sent over some kind of connection they share. He probably doesn’t even know he’s doing it.”

Regina’s thoughts were moving so quickly, she could barely keep up. Daniel was alive! And his – and subsequently, Annie’s - suffering was all her fault! She leaned forward with a hand over her mouth, on the verge of losing control of her emotions when her phone rang, piercing the silence.

It was Emma. Instinctively she knew – Emma wouldn’t be able to help Annie. The reason Regina helped dampen the pain was because it was her magic causing it – or at least, a magic that was tied to her.

She stood even as she was answering the phone, heading quickly for the door. “I’m on my way,” she told Emma before snapping the phone shut. She looked at Maleficent. “We have to go.”

* * *

Annie pushed herself up slowly, looking around. She was in the Hall of Doors, so she must have done it. But where was Regina? She brought her hand up, feeling her fingers wrapped around something. It was Regina’s cellphone. She clicked it on to find the notepad open with a note typed out, explaining what Annie would need to do.

But something felt different now. Annie felt stronger, not just because the headache had faded, but because she felt…powerful. And somehow she knew that Regina’s plan wasn’t going to work. It had been well thought-out, yes, but Annie remembered something about this world now. Scary stories from some of the other children in her world when she was very, very young.

She stood quickly, making up her mind.

* * *

Daniel was here, in front of her. Regina wanted to cry. She wanted to run into his arms and tell him how much she loved him. She wanted to tell him how sorry she was that she was the cause of all of this. But she didn’t do any of it. Because Daniel, her kind-hearted stable boy, was standing there looking at her with hatred and she knew she deserved it.

Out of some kind of respect for the privacy of this conversation, Hook ordered his men back to their stations and slipped off himself, giving Regina’s back a small pat.

When they were gone, Regina took one more, small step forward. “Daniel,” she said again softly, and this time, there was almost a question to it.

“You!” he spat, stepping forward as well.

That hurt her almost more than the hatred in his gaze. In his eyes, she didn’t even warrant a name.

“What have you done?!” It was such a general question. He could have meant anything, but Regina knew he meant everything.

She closed her eyes painfully, a few tears escaping, and for a moment, Daniel saw _his_ Regina; the scared, vulnerable young woman who’d loved him so much, but was too afraid of her mother to ever truly give herself over to him. He almost went to her, the need to comfort her still his first reaction, but he stopped himself. This was a different Regina. A woman who had committed dark acts of magic; murdering, casting spells, curses, using her powers to frighten the innocent and ensure her place of power in the kingdom.

“You’re just like her, you know,” he said instead. Instead of going to her and wrapping her in his arms. She looked up, the unimaginable pain in her expression showing him that she knew exactly who he was referring to. He said it anyway. “Your mother, the woman you once proclaimed you were so different from.”

She let out a small sob before choking it back and nodded. “I know,” she whispered. It was the only way she could keep her voice from cracking and losing control of her emotions. She knew she didn’t deserve to cry or to appear hurt by what he was saying. But, oh it hurt. It hurt so much more than she ever could have imagined. All those years of revenge, of scheming, of using people because she’d lost him and someone had to pay.

“How dare you,” he said. “How dare you use my sister and I like that. Using your loss to hurt others. I thought I knew you better, but I’ve been proven wrong time and time again,” he said bitterly. “You learn a lot in the world of the damned.” He shook his head, looking down, trying to come up with words to express just how betrayed he felt, but they wouldn’t come. He wasn’t enjoying causing her suffering, but these things needed to be said. After twenty-eight years, he was obligated to say them. “You did terrible things and declared you did them for me, for Annie. How could you?! I never wanted that! Annie _certainly_ wouldn’t have.” Saying her name was so painful. All of these years, he’d wondered why he’d lived and Annie hadn’t, but had been grateful in some small way. Had she lived, she would have been brought here just as he had; made to suffer as they watched the woman who had become family grow dark and twisted by magic.

Regina, too, was thinking of Annie now. Seeing Daniel, actually _seeing_ him, had distracted her from everything else. She used a hand to quickly wipe away her tears and gave him just a faint smile. “She’s alive, Daniel.”

“What?!”

“Annie – she never died. It was a lie my mother told me, and I believed her. I only found out about a week ago. She’s been with me.”

“You’re lying!” Daniel yelled viciously. “How could you lie about that, about her?!”

It was a similar misapprehension she’d just been under about him, but here he was. “I’m not lying, Daniel. I came here to bring you back with me. You two have a sort of connection, but it’s been hurting her. She hears the voices of everyone in this world, and Daniel – it’s killing her.”

He watched her for any sign of deception, but she looked him right in the eye and he knew it was the truth. “She’s been alive this entire time?”

“Yes. Daniel, she was my assistant all these years, and I never knew.”

Daniel was silent, thinking back to all of the flashes he’d seen of that girl – Rapunzel from their world – the poor girl who’d also been used and manipulated by Regina. The girl who’s hair had been the final ingredient of the curse. But that girl had not known the Evil Queen, where Annie surely would have recognized Regina. “Where is she?” his voice was cold and harsh.

“She’s waiting for us in the Hall of Doors.”

“You brought her with you?! How could you endanger her like that?!”

“Daniel, she can help you get out of here. If we get back to the entrance of this world, she can open the doors. We can go home.” He’d done nothing but scream and it was beginning to wear on her. Even some of the crew – pirates used to rowdy behavior – were beginning to stare. All the times she’d dreamed of reuniting with Daniel over the years; this was the complete opposite.

“You had no right to bring her to such a place!”

“Daniel, she was dying! I had no choice!”

“Does she even know who you are? Does she remember?”

Regina was about to respond when Hook came between the two of them, slight amusement in his eyes. “Whatever your girl does or doesn’t remember, she certainly has a mind of her own.” He pointed up ahead of them.

Regina hadn’t noticed the ship moving toward the cliff she’d been standing on earlier. There was a figure running toward the edge, and by the bright, sky-blue shirt starkly contrasting with the dark world, Regina knew it to be Annie.

A second later the girl was mid-air, hurtling toward the waves, her scream heard clearly as it echoed all around them. They were close enough that when she hit, they could hear the splash.

“Annie!” Regina screamed, and without another thought, she climbed up onto the side of the boat and dove into the water.

Hook shook his head. “Lower the boat,” he called to his crew. It seemed they had another rescue to complete. He looked at Daniel, still frozen in place and staring in disbelief. “Women,” he said to the man, rolling his eyes. “They can be so dramatic.”

A moment later, Daniel ran to the edge and jumped over the side.

Hook sighed heavily. “Suit yourself,” he said to no one. “I’ll wait for the boat.”


	24. Chapter 24

Emma was sitting on Regina’s couch trying to wrap her head around what Maleficent had told her. There was a world of the damned? And Regina had gone there _willingly_? Regina had definitely been right; this was _not_ something she could tell Henry.

As if on cue, Henry came racing down the stairs, David not far behind.

“Emma, where’s my mom? Where’s Annie?” The sudden silence after Annie’s piercing screams had scared Henry, but David had insisted he finish getting ready for school before going back down. Henry had been irritated but David hadn’t wanted him walking into any more terrible situations. He wanted to give the people downstairs time to deal with whatever was going on.

Coming down to find Emma alone, sitting on the couch, frightened Henry. All kinds of horrible scenarios played through his head.

Emma couldn’t tell him exactly – not with David in the room – so she said instead, “She had to go get help for Annie, Henry.”

“Is Annie going to be okay?” Henry thought back to how Annie had looked this morning and nearly felt like crying.

Not wanting to lie, but not wanting to scare him she said, “I hope so, Henry. You know your mom will take really good care of her.”

Henry nodded. “Can we go see her later?”

“Maybe if Annie’s feeling better later, we can drop by the hospital?” David asked. He was looking at Emma who was already shaking her head no.

“Regina had to…take her out of town…to see a specialist. She wanted to make sure Annie got the best care.”

David looked confused but nodded slowly. “Does she have any idea when she’ll be back?” He was glancing at Henry.

“She doesn’t.” Emma bent down in front of Henry. “But she asked me to look after you while she’s gone.”

“She did?” Henry was amazed. His mom normally never let him spend very much time with Emma. Although, she had let them watch the movie together the other night. And she’d been willing to tell Emma herself that the curse was real. His mom really was changing. Which made this new turn of events even harder to deal with. Henry had seen the look Emma had given him when she said Regina left town. She’d meant they’d gone to another world. He planned to get more information out of Emma as soon as the two of them were alone.

Emma was nodding. “And I could probably use your help, David. You know how to keep things running smoothly around here.”

David smiled weakly. “Of course – I’d be happy to help.”

All of them stood there for a minute unhappily. David was worried about Regina and Annie, Emma was thinking about how Regina had told her she might not be coming back and Henry was thinking about those terrible screams. He didn’t think he’d ever be able to forget them. He prayed that his mom would be able to help.

“Alright, Henry,” David finally said, breaking the uncomfortable silence. “Let’s get you off to school.” He looked at Emma. “Do you want me to still pick him up after?”

“Yeah,” Emma said, thinking. The schedule was going to be interesting. “Actually, would you be able to stay with him after school for a little while? I don’t get off work until a little later.”

David was quick to nod. “Anything you need. Do you want me to take him to your apartment?”

“Actually, I think I’ll just stay here at the house with Henry.” Emma knew that Henry would be happier here, in his room, with his own bed. She was also secretly happy to have an excuse not to stay at the apartment.

“Okay, well, I’ll see you this evening then,” David said, and patted Henry’s shoulder, moving him toward the door.

Emma gave a small wave. She should get to work herself, but the minute the door shut, she sank back down into the couch.

She and Regina didn’t see eye to eye on much of anything except for Henry. Which is why she now found herself praying for her enemy’s safe return. She _needed_ Regina to be okay, to come home safe; for Henry.

Roughly shoving herself up from the couch, Emma decided it was time to get on with the day. Regina would be fine, she assured herself. She’d be fine, and she’d be back soon with Annie. Until then, Emma had a job to do.

* * *

Annie swam quickly for the surface – at least, she hoped it was the surface. The water’s temperature had been a shock to her system, and she found herself fighting to stay aware. It didn’t take her long to see that she had chosen correctly; she could see the surface not too far away. And then Regina was there, pulling her up.

Breaking the surface, Annie sucked in a breath and caught a bit of water in with it. She coughed and fought to stay afloat. “It’s c…co….cold,” she spluttered out, forcing the words past her chattering teeth.

“What were you thinking?” Regina yelled. The boat was finally in sight, growing closer to them.

“I was—” She coughed as she inhaled a little more water. “I was coming to…to…f…fin…find you.” She still felt like she was dancing on the edge of awareness. It was so much colder than she had anticipated and she was having a hard time focusing.

The boat finally stopped next to them and Regina helped get Annie in before climbing up herself. She’d only just straightened before Annie knocked into her, wrapping her arms around her tightly. “Don’t ever do that again!” she said, shivering. “I kept thinking about everything that could happen to you, and I had to come find you.” She leaned her head into Regina’s shoulder.

Regina rubbed Annie’s back quickly, trying to warm her up. “I should say the same to you. Honey, why didn’t you just stay there where it was safe? I left you a note.”

Annie actually laughed, closing her eyes. “Some note. I’m going to the world of the damned, be back for dinner. Stay here.”

Regina laughed a little, too. There was nothing else to do in this situation. She leaned her cheek against Annie’s head, closing her own eyes, grateful to see Annie feeling so much better, even under the current circumstances. “That’s not what it said.”

“Close enough.” Someone behind her cleared their throat and she felt Regina jump.

Regina pulled back gently. “Annie, there’s someone here you need to see.”

Annie turned her head and gasped when she saw Daniel standing in front of her. “Daniel?”

He stepped forward and placed a hand on her cheek, looking into her eyes. “Annie? Is that really you?”

She nodded slowly, forgetting entirely about the cold and everything else. “But is it really _you_?”

In response, he stepped forward and scooped her into his arms. “All these years, I’ve thought you were dead.” He pulled back and looked at her, laughing. “Look at you. You’re not a little girl anymore. You’re beautiful, Annie; you look so much like mom.”

Regina looked on with tears in her eyes. This was more the family reunion she’d been picturing.

The scene was once more disrupted by someone clearing their throat, more loudly this time. “Hate to interrupt this lovely get-together, but do you all mind if we get back to the ship first?” Hook received a glare from Regina, but that only made him grin. “Glad you agree. Smee! You know what to do.”

* * *

Emma had decided to walk to the station. She thought it might give her a chance to work out her more troubling thoughts. She didn’t even notice someone coming out of Granny’s until she bumped straight into them.

“I’m so sorry,” she started, reaching out to help steady the person before looking up to see that it was August.

“August?”

He smiled, but there was a question in his eyes. He was wondering if she remembered or not. To answer his question, she pulled him in for a kiss.

“Man, I missed you!” She said when she pulled back.

He laughed. “I’ve been here the whole time.”

“Yeah, but you weren’t _you_. Well, I wasn’t _me_.” She shook her head in confusion. “You know what, it doesn’t matter – I’m just glad that we can be us again.”

“Ahhhh,” August smiled. “So we’re an ‘us’?”

Emma found it almost absurd that in the middle of everything that was going on, she was having this conversation. Absurd, but comforting. August had a way of making her feel that everything wasn’t as hopeless as it all felt. He made her smile even in the most serious circumstances, and she liked that. Just as she liked the way she felt now with him smiling at her. “Yeah,” she said nodding slowly. We’re an us.” She raised an eyebrow playfully. “You gotta problem with that?”

He smiled. “No complaints from me.”

“Good.”  She started forward again.

“You’re leaving?” he asked incredulously, chuckling.

“Duty calls,” she smiled at him over her shoulder. “But I wouldn’t mind an escort.”

He caught up to her and matched her stride. “Don’t want to get in trouble with the boss for being late?” he asked teasingly.

She gave him a sideways glare. “I may only be the deputy now, but that doesn’t mean I can’t still arrest your ass.” Her irritated words were undercut, however, when she slipped her hand into his.

“Yes, ma’am.”


	25. Chapter 25

Annie stayed glued to Daniel’s side the entire way back to the ship and after they’d climbed aboard. She still wasn’t entirely convinced that he was real, despite his being right there. Losing him was still so fresh in her mind that she didn’t think she could handle it again if it turned out that this was all some horrible trick. She didn’t notice the clear tension between him and Regina or the way Regina was watching them; happy but with a sadness borne of exclusion. This was a family reunion that she could only observe from the outside. She wasn’t welcome in any other capacity.

“Well, my dear,” Hook said, moving to stand directly in front of Annie. “Did you have a plan in mind? My crew awaits instruction.”

She nodded. “This is Neverland isn’t it?”

Hook looked surprised. “It is.”

“Then take me to the island of the Lost Boys.”

Hook shook his head sadly. “If that was your escape, I’m sorry to say, you’ll all be trapped. There is no way for you to cross into that side of this world.”

“Leave that to me,” Annie told him. “Just take us there.”

He raised an eyebrow questioningly, but gave in without argument. “As you wish.” It wasn’t _his_ time that would be wasted. “Until then, I have dry clothes all of you can change into. You are welcome to use my captain’s quarters to talk.” His behavior on the boat may have been less than polite, but he wasn’t completely insensitive to the situation. He led the way to the cabin where he rummaged around in a trunk before finding the clothes he’d mentioned. He laid them out for his guests and exited without further comment.

Annie cringed at the sight of the dresses that had been chosen for them. Not because they were ugly; Annie had always found the dresses women pirates wore to be exotically beautiful and unique. It was just that it was a dress. She hadn’t been fond of them as a child, nor as Rapunzel, and she certainly wasn’t fond of them now that she’d had twenty-eight years of jeans.

Regina silently picked hers up and left to change. It was the first time Annie noticed how quiet she’d been since she’d been reunited with Daniel. Looking at him now, she was shocked to see the expression on his face as he watched Regina go. Pain, but mostly anger.

“Daniel?” she asked quietly. “What’s going on?”

Daniel’s expression quickly changed as he looked at her, but it wasn’t quite a smile. “We should put on dry clothes,” he said simply. “We can all talk later.”

So Annie picked up her dress and followed in the direction Regina had gone. Behind a screen in the corner of the room, she saw Regina, already changed into the borrowed dress and tightening the strings on a vest she wore above it. “That dress looks perfect on you,” Annie told her.

Regina looked up for a moment but there was no further acknowledgement. She finished lacing the vest and then brushed past Annie.

“Wait,” she grabbed Regina’s arm. “Regina, what’s the matter?” Only a few minutes ago, Regina had been hugging her, laughing with her, and now she wouldn’t even give her a small smile.

Regina shook her head. “Daniel wouldn’t want me talking to you without him there to hear what was being said. In fact, he’s probably worried to leave you alone with me.”

“That’s not true, Regina. He loves you. Why would you think he’s worried?”

“He knows about everything that I’ve done.” The way she said the words was so final. As if there was no hope for any kind of redemption, a path she’d already started down. Regina gave Annie one last sad glance before leaving her alone. Annie stood there in shock.

How had things gone wrong so quickly? And why did everything always have to go wrong? She changed quickly and when she returned, she found Regina and Daniel seated opposite each other. Regina was pleading with Daniel in a voice too quiet to hear and Daniel was watching her, stony-faced and unresponsive. Both looked up when Annie approached.

Daniel’s face softened immediately. “Come sit, Annie.” He gestured to the spot next to him and she started for it but she caught the expression on Regina’s face. It wasn’t one that was meant to be seen, but Annie saw it nonetheless; loss, pain, hurt, and maybe just a bit of fear. As happy as she was to have her brother back, Annie couldn’t stand to see Regina suffering; especially not after what they’d been through the last few days. Regina needed to know that Annie was on her side, and that that wasn’t going to change.

Daniel frowned and Regina started in surprise as Annie sat next to her, leaning into her side.

Regina was surprised, but it only took her a moment to wrap her arm around Annie and pull her in closer. Annie laid her head on Regina’s shoulder while watching Daniel. It was so strange to have him sitting right there across from her after all of this time. In some parts of her memory, it felt like only yesterday, while in others, it had been almost forty years. That realization was appalling. She certainly didn’t feel it had been that long. She didn’t even feel her own age; having her childhood ripped away from her at such a young age, she felt like she was back to being eight again. She wished more than anything that it were true. That she could somehow gain back all of that lost time with her family. At least they were together now – in some ways. The icy silence suddenly became very noticeable, and Annie couldn’t take it any longer. “Your plan wouldn’t have worked, Regina,” she started. It was the only safe topic she could think to bring up.

“And what makes you say that?” Regina asked.

“I’m not sure entirely. I just _know_ somehow. Ever since I found out I was a traveler, I’ve been getting random bits of memory back along with this, I don’t know…feeling of… power, I guess? It’s been much stronger since I woke up outside in the Hall of Doors.”

Daniel had tensed immediately at the mention of them being travelers. It wasn’t something anyone was ever supposed to find out; especially this new Regina that he didn’t trust. He was also curious as to why Annie had said that it was something she’d had to remember. How could she forget? One didn’t just forget who they were.

Annie frowned at Daniel, wondering why he was staring so intensely at her.

“Why didn’t you tell me?” Regina asked. Surely Annie would have mentioned feeling the sudden change.

“It wasn’t as strong before. And I had those headaches.” She saw Daniel flinch guiltily and that made her sit up. “Daniel, what’s wrong?”

There was only silence, and for the first time, Daniel looked at Regina without the hatred. He was thinking about what she’d said before about Annie. How he had been causing her pain by somehow broadcasting his thoughts and memories to her.

“Wait,” Annie said, realizing for the first time what was going on. “It was you.” The pieces were all there. All of those desperate voices she’d heard in her head – they belonged to the souls trapped in this world. And Regina had said that Daniel knew about everything she had done. He’d been the one to send those terrible images to her in her dreams. He’d done it all, but hadn’t realized he was doing it. It all made sense now.

Daniel opened his mouth but Annie shook her head. “It’s okay, Daniel, you didn’t know. It’s not your fault. I don’t really want to talk about it anyway.” She smiled at him and reached for his hand. “I love you, Daniel.”

“I love you to, Annie.” He swung her hand a few times before laughing and letting it go. “I can’t believe you’re alive.” He looked at her seriously. “Everything will be better now.”

Annie nodded and smiled again, though not as brightly this time. Looking between the two people she loved and called family, she hoped more than anything that it was the truth.

* * *

Emma was sitting back in her chair, feet propped up, drumming her fingers on the desk as she watched Cora with suspicion. It was a slow day and she’d been doing this for the past hour. Cora had tried to provoke her into some form of conversation in the beginning, but had quickly given up. The blonde was nothing if not stubborn.

Both were grateful when they were provided the distraction of someone walking through the door. Emma quickly pulled her feet off the desk and straightened. When she stood and turned to greet the visitor, she couldn’t believe her eyes. “Brian?!”

He stood, mouth hanging open for a minute before he grinned widely. “Emma Swan!”

She launched herself at him, hugging him tightly. “Oh my god! Brian, I can’t believe it! Wow!” She laughed as he pulled back and took her by the shoulders.

“You haven’t changed one bit, Emma.”

“And you’ve gotten old.”

He laughed. “That’s what happens when you have kids.”

Her eyes went wide. “You have kids?”

“Two daughters; Claire and Sophie.”

“Wow,” Emma said again, shaking her head. “I can’t believe how long it’s been.”

“Yeah,” he smiled. “What’s been going on with you?”

“Actually, I—” she paused to glance at Cora, only just remembering the woman’s presence in the room. “Let’s go talk in the hall,” she said, nodding her head in the direction of the doors.

He followed without argument and once they were safely outside, he picked up right where they’d left off. “So? How’ve you been?”

“Things have been…odd.”

He laughed at her response. “Same old Emma. Always something going on.”

“You have _no_ idea,” she told him. She sobered some. “What are you doing here? No one ever comes to Storybrooke.” She couldn’t believe she was saying the clichéd words, but they were cliché for a reason – it was the truth.

“Actually—” Brian sighed heavily, shifting his feet a bit at the unwanted reminder of why he’d come. “I’m looking for someone. My father.”


	26. Chapter 26

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Spending the evening editing current stories, so naturally, I'm digging my heels in and stalling like crazy. As a result, I decided to put up another chapter of this tonight.

Time seemed to drag for the trio in the captain’s quarters as they sat in awkward silence. None of them felt particularly like talking about everything that had been happening. Thankfully, it didn’t take more than a few hours for the ship to reach the border between the two lands. Hook himself came to retrieve them.

“You’re up, darling,” he said to Annie with something between a smile and a grimace. He didn’t know what she had planned, but he was certainly curious to find out.

Hook watched them all as they filed past him, his eyes straying a bit as Regina passed. He’d almost forgotten how amazing she looked in a dress. She caught him staring and smirked before she made it a point to glare at him, to which he playfully winked at her.

When they came up to the surface, everyone was surprised to see that the storm had broken – or, at least, they’d sailed out of it. The skies were still gray, but they could see clear blue in the distance. It wasn’t pouring rain anymore, so the clothing they’d just changed into remained dry.

“Is this the line?” Annie asked.

“Indeed, it is,” Hook replied. He pointed to one of the sails at the front of the boat. “That’s about where the line is. You’ll find you won’t be able to cross it.”

“But your crew can?” Annie asked.

“Yes. We’ve been allowed to move across freely as payment for the work we do.”

“Transporting people to the world of the damned?” Annie asked darkly and Hook nodded.

“Hey, a fellow has to make a living. Most of the people we bring across deserve this fate.” He didn’t look too convinced.

“No one deserves this,” Annie said. She walked slowly toward the sail that had been pointed out to her. As she drew closer, sure enough, she could feel the energy around her change. It became gradually harder for her to move forward, until finally, she stopped. She placed a hand up and a kind of barrier crackled to life, glimmering clearly in the air for just a moment before disappearing again. She turned to Hook. “Be ready to move the ship forward. I’m not sure how long we’ll have.”

“What exactly do you think you’ll be able to do?” he asked her with skepticism.

“Take the barrier down.”

Daniel stepped forward quickly. “Annie, no. It’s very powerful, you don’t have the means.”

“I can feel it, Daniel. There’s power inside me. Travelers were meant to be able to cross all barriers between worlds.”

“Yes, but Annie, this is much bigger than that. This is no ordinary door. It’s a barrier _inside_ of a world. And not just any world; the world of the damned.”

“But we’re not just ordinary travelers, either,” Annie argued. “Our parents gave us something more when they died. They sacrificed everything for us, and I believe the powers that were transferred were magnified somehow.”

“Sorry to interrupt,” Hook said stepping in. “But I couldn’t help overhearing that you believe yourselves to be travelers?”

“I don’t believe it,” Annie told him. “I am.”

Hook laughed grimly before shaking his head. “No one’s heard from the travelers in years. They’re believed to be all dead and gone. Killed in the war.”

Annie looked at Hook in confusion, but turning to Daniel, she saw a sad acknowledgment in his expression. “What war?” she asked him. Even Regina had grown somber.

In place of an answer, Daniel moved closer to her. “Annie, it’s too much. We’ll find another way out.”

“No,” Annie shook her head. “This is our only way out.” Her voice turned slightly desperate. “Please let me do this. I just got my family back and I’m not going to let anything stand in the way of that. Daniel, I can do this. Just trust me.”

After a moment, he finally nodded. Everyone watched in silence as Annie turned back to the barrier. Putting her hands up against the barrier, she closed her eyes in concentration. She found that if she stayed focused, she could _feel_ her way through it in her mind. Find its cracks and openings and pull them apart. It was an uphill battle at first. As quickly as she’d pulled it apart, the pieces would fuse back together. Redoubling her efforts, Annie felt her energy draining as she forced the barrier open.

The others watched in amazement as the crackling energy spread outward, leaving a very obvious opening that grew wider by the second. Hook watched in fascination until Regina brought him out of it with a sharp, “Hook!”

“Right, then,” Hook nodded. He turned to his crew, giving the order to move the ship forward.

Annie was weakening noticeably and as a result, the opening began to grow smaller again. Regina, thinking quickly, pushed Daniel forward. “Hurry!” she urged. “The three of us are the only ones aboard who can’t cross the barrier.”

Remembering that fact, he ran forward. When Annie saw that they were all safely on the other side, she collapsed to the ground, allowing the barrier to re-form. She managed to catch herself and leaned her hands on the ground for support.

Regina and Daniel both bent down quickly. “Annie?” Daniel reached out to grasp her shoulder. “Are you okay?”

Annie very slowly nodded her head. “Yeah, I’m just really dizzy and really tired.”

Regina brushed a few strands of hair out of Annie’s face. “Go ahead and rest.”

This time Annie shook her head no. “Not until we’re home,” she said weakly.

“You can’t travel like this,” Daniel told her. “You should rest, first. We can go home when you’re feeling better.”

Annie was too tired to argue.

“Can you stand?” Daniel asked.

Annie attempted to pull herself up, but her legs were too shaky and her head spun. Daniel was quick to scoop her up into his arms, carrying her back toward the cabin. Regina followed behind, watching Annie with concern. Once inside, Daniel set her carefully on the cot that was Hook’s bed. “Thank you,” she said with her eyes closed. “Regina?” she opened her eyes just a hair.

Regina moved to sit on the side of the bed. “Yes, honey?”

Annie grasped Regina’s hand and closed her eyes again. “I just wanted to make sure you were here.”

Regina gave her hand a soft squeeze. “I’m here. You can go to sleep now. Daniel and I will both be here when you wake up.”

“You better be,” Annie whispered and then was asleep.

Regina carefully pulled her hand away and then stood, pulling a blanket over Annie. She turned to see Daniel watching her cautiously. Sighing heavily, she moved back to where they’d been sitting previously. Daniel followed. She closed her eyes, pinching the bridge of her nose to ward off a growing headache. When she opened them again, Daniel was still looking at her. “I’m not going to hurt her, you know,” she told him.

He nodded silently. “Why?” Daniel asked after a moment.

She looked at him incredulously. “I love Annie. You can’t seriously believe that I would ever harm her?”

Daniel shook his head. “That’s not what I meant. I’m thinking about how much you’ve changed, the things you’ve done. Your justification was me. You used my memory to do terrible things, and I’m just wondering why? The Regina I knew would never have given in to hatred like that.”

He watched the emotion flit across her features. Again, he almost wanted to comfort her, but stopped himself. Shortly after, she composed her expression into a carefully concealing mask. She’d never looked at _him_ like that, and he almost regretted saying anything to cause her to react in such a way. “Daniel, we should talk about this later. It’s going to be a large conversation, and I’m guessing not a quiet one.” She glanced over her shoulder at Annie and her expression softened once more. “Can this wait?” She looked back at him and he nodded.

“As long as you promise that we will talk.”

“We will,” she assured him. “I promise.”

Satisfied, he leaned back and closed his eyes, attempting to get some rest himself.

Regina didn’t even try. There were too many things to think about. Instead, she watched Daniel as he fell asleep, reveling in the fact that he was alive. She allowed herself, just for a little while, to pretend like nothing had ever happened and gaze at Daniel as she’d done before his death. When she found herself wanting to crawl into his arms and lean her head against him, she forced her eyes closed. Tears slipped out anyway and she found herself shaking with quiet sobs. She pushed a hand over her mouth to hold them in. One question played over and over in her mind; what had she done? She’d lost Daniel again, but this time she had no one to blame but herself. She wouldn’t even allow herself to hope that maybe this time she could get him back.


	27. Chapter 27

Emma looked at Brian in confusion. “I’m sorry, Brian, but you’re looking in the wrong place.” Only fairytale characters lived in this town. Well, and their descendants. To her knowledge no one was missing a s— “Holy shit! You’re Baelfire!” Emma suddenly realized. Regina had mentioned that Gold had been looking for his son for years.

Brian jumped and then frowned at her. “Emma, how do you know that name?” he asked.

“The whole fairytale thing. You know…” she prompted. She only received a quick nod and an uncomfortable glance around them. “You do remember, don’t you?” she asked, suddenly concerned.

“Yeah…yeah, I remember.” He finally looked back at her. “How do _you_ know about them, though?”

“I’m kind of the child of Snow White and Prince Charming. Well… I guess I _definitely_ am.”

“Snow White and Prince Charming?” Brian seemed to turn inward for a moment, mumbling to himself. “So _all_ of the fairytales are real. Hmmm.”

“What do you mean?” Emma asked. “Wouldn’t you already know that? I mean…you’re from that world.”

“Yes, but Emma, I left hundreds of years before any of them were born.”

“Riiigghht!” Emma remembered this conversation.

Brian shook his head, almost sadly. “I’m sorry that you have to be a part of the other world. I know it’s more like a nightmare.”

Emma looked at him strangely. She’d been thinking about how crappy it was to suddenly have all this information dumped on her, but to hear someone else apologizing for her being a part of it also reminded her of all the benefits. “It’s not all bad,” she told him. “For one thing, I have parents.” She smiled. She, Brian and Neal had all spent a lot of time together when she was a teenager in the system. The two men had left the foster system years before but they’d drop by from time to time and they’d all grown quite close. Which brought her to, “Have you spoken to Neal?”

Brian nodded. “Yeah, he’s living in New York. I thought you’d know that. I was under the impression that you two were still in contact.”

“Nope.” Emma popped the p. She laughed bitterly. “He made sure to take off at the most inconvenient time possible. Haven’t heard from him since.”

“So you don’t know?” Brian asked, and he suddenly seemed shocked. “I thought for sure, now that I know that you’re a part of this world, too…”

“What are you talking about?” Emma asked, suddenly on high alert. “What does _he_ have to do with any of that?”

Brian stood quietly, shuffling his feet and looking down at the floor.

“Brian, tell me!” she demanded.

“Emma,” he started softly and then shook his head. “I really think that he should be the one to tell you. I have no right. I can contact him for you.”

She only stared at him. Neal…it had been years. And he didn’t know about Henry. Not even Brian knew about Henry. “Are you telling me that Neal’s a fairytale character too?!” Her head was spinning. Did she want to see Neal again? Everything since him had been so complicated and confusing. He’d caused that.

Brian nodded sheepishly. Seeing the expression on her face, he added, “Emma…he’ll want to see you. He talks about you a lot. That’s why I thought you guys were still talking to each other.”

Emma couldn’t contain her shocked expression. “He does?” She’d thought that he’d written her off completely. He’d left her in prison after all.

Brian nodded. “We talked a few weeks ago and he mentioned you.”

“Hmm.” Emma studied the floor. It would be best to finally resolve things with Henry’s father once and for all. He at least deserved to know that Henry existed. Coming to that conclusion, no matter how much she despised it, she said, “Yeah, okay. Give him a call. Just don’t tell him that I asked you to.”

Brian nodded. “Of course.”

“Well, you’re probably are anxious to see your father,” Emma said and Brian grimaced. “So it’s not just me that has that reaction to him?” she asked, earning the smallest of smiles.

“I’m afraid he has that effect on most people he meets.”

“Well, maybe he’s changed,” Emma offered. “It _has_ been twenty-eight years.”

“Yeah, but how do you go about greeting a parent you haven’t seen for decades?”

Emma raised an eyebrow. “Really, Brian? You’re preaching to the choir here. I figured it out, you can too.”

“Hmm. So everyone knows about the fairytales here?” he asked.

“Actually, nooo,” Emma clarified. “It’s a little complicated. But your father remembers. Just – maybe don’t mention the whole fairytale thing to anyone else.”

“Got it.” Brian reached forward and hugged her. “God, it’s good to see you again.”

She smiled into his shoulder. “You, too, Brian.”

Finally, he pulled back. “Guess it’s time to go face the music,” he sighed.

“Yeah, well you never know. It might turn out to be great.”

He smiled over his shoulder as he headed for the door. “I’ll see you around, right?”

“Count on it. We need to catch up.”

He gave a nod of agreement before slipping out the door.

Emma smiled to herself, remembering one of her greatest friends growing up. Well – one of her _only_ friends. Accept Neal. Frowning, Emma headed back into the office. Uncomfortable situations kept popping up around her and it was getting damned annoying. This was exactly why she’d developed the habit of moving around. Things were a hell of a lot easier when you didn’t have anything tying you down. But they were also a lot lonelier. It was time to face the demons from her past.

Cora cleared her throat from the cell and Emma couldn’t help but think, ‘ _speaking of demons from the past…’_

“Yeah?” Emma asked gruffly. “What do you want?”

“I just couldn’t stop myself from eavesdropping on your precious little conversation.”

Emma stiffened immediately. How was that possible? Cora didn’t have her magic anymore…did she?

Cora seemed to read her thoughts. “You didn’t think those thin little doors would block out the sound of your voice did you? Didn’t your mother ever tell you, a proper lady keeps her voice quiet? Oh no, she wouldn’t have,” she said, mock sympathy appearing on her face. “She never had the chance.” She clicked her tongue at Emma’s expression of shock and fear. “You should close your mouth, dear. It’s not very attractive. I have to say, I’m intrigued. Little Snow grew up to have a daughter. Regina’s actions and choices are truly baffling, but I’m beginning to see a bit of what she had in mind. I’d like to hear more about your lives here. Perhaps I can help.” She smiled and Emma shivered.

“Lady, there’s not a chance in hell.”

With that, she stormed out of the doors, slamming them shut behind her. She made her way to the car, dialing Graham’s number. Let him deal with her for a while.

* * *

Regina had eventually managed to get her crying under control and had mostly recovered when Hook came in to tell her they were drawing close. He glanced at her for a moment, wondering if he was imagining the slight puffiness around her eyes but she looked away from him quickly and he had the decency to look away himself. After a minute, he stepped forward cautiously and pulled her into a hug. “I don’t think I like this sad Regina. I much prefer the one who could kill me with a wave of her hand and threatened to do so on more than one occasion.”

Regina returned the hug for a moment and then chuckled, saying, “In that case, if you don’t let me go this instant, I will crush you to dust.”

Hook pulled back and grinned at her. “See? Much better!”

She laughed as he smiled affectionately at her. “I don’t know exactly what happened between the two of you,” he gestured at the still sleeping Daniel. “But I’m sure if you give him some time, he’ll come around.”

“I don’t think so,” Regina said, shaking her head sadly.

“He will,” Hook said with confidence.

“How do you know?” Regina asked.

“Because,” he took her hand and brought it to his lips, kissing it softly. “I’m your friend and I wish only happiness for you.” Having had enough with sentimentality, he added, “Besides. What man could possibly resist you?” He looked her up and down as he said it, smiling with approval.

Regina laughed again before drawing her hand back. “Thank you,” she told him sincerely. “You always did know how to cheer a girl up.”

He winked and disappeared.

Regina sighed again and moved to wake Annie first. “Annie,” she said softly, and brushed the back of her hand against the girl’s cheek.

“Hmmm?” Annie asked, stretching, her eyes still closed.

“We’re almost there,” Regina told her.

Annie’s eyes popped open as she suddenly remembered where she was. “Daniel?” she asked breathlessly, fear written plainly on her face as she sat up in the bed.

“Is right there,” Regina replied, pointing over at him.

Annie relaxed when she saw him and then she moved her feet over the edge of the bed so that she could sit next to Regina. Still feeling her head spin a bit at the movement, she leaned it against Regina’s shoulder once more. Before Regina could ask, she said, “I feel better than I did, but that really drained me.”

Regina wrapped her arms around her. “You shouldn’t have taken that on all by yourself. Why did you?”

Annie shrugged. “You don’t have your magic, and I don’t think Daniel has the same powers as me. I just _knew_ what to do when I felt the barrier. He didn’t.” She looked at her brother for a minute and said. “Just because he’s angry doesn’t mean he doesn’t still love you. And I want you to know, so that you can stop worrying, that I love you, too. You keep getting this look in your eye, like I’m going to start hating you, but I know what you’ve done, just like Daniel, and I won’t. I don’t. I’ll love you no matter what.”

Regina was unable to say anything in return, so she just pulled Annie closer and kissed the top of her head.

“Let’s go wake up Daniel,” Annie smiled. Daniel who was alive. Even with all the drama that accompanied this discovery, she couldn’t have been happier. She didn’t plan to just sit idly by and watch these two continue to fight. She’d questioned the ability to fix their relationship before, but when she’d collapsed, they’d both put aside their feelings for each other to focus only on her. It made her realize that she herself had the ability to bring them together, and she wasn’t going to waste it. It would be hard, but she felt, with enough time, they might just be able to mend all that had been broken.


	28. Chapter 28

Belle was moving around the shop, carefully dusting all the items on the counters and shelves. She’d been helping Mr. Gold out around the shop for a few days now, and she found the work and company both to be quite pleasant. It had been odd coming here; Mr. Gold seemed to have some sort of connection with her, but she couldn’t remember ever meeting the man before. Nevertheless, he treated her with a kindness and respect that it appeared he reserved for a very select few, and she didn’t mind being employed by the generous man.

The bell on the door rang out and she put down the duster, greeting the man with a smile. “Hello,” she said kindly.

“Hi.” The man glanced around but seemed uncomfortable.

“May I help you?” Belle prompted. He looked a bit lost and he blinked at her a few times before replying.

“Umm, I guess. I’m uh…I’m looking for someone. A Mr. Gold?”

“You’ve come to the right place,” Gold said, stepping through the doorway of the backroom. “This is my shop after all. Was there something specific you were searching for?”

Brian should have been at least a little prepared for this encounter, but he wasn’t; not at all. He stared openly at his father, taking in the appearance of the man he hadn’t seen since he was a young child. This wasn’t the impish form that he’d somehow expected – as ridiculous as that notion was. It had made it easier to deal with his separation from that world to think of the devious twisted soul that had taken control of his father’s body. Of course that wouldn’t be what he would find, not in this world, but he still was having a hard time processing it. This man was completely the father he recognized, except for his polished suit and that he carried himself with confidence and assurance. It brought back feelings he hadn’t had in a long time and he couldn’t find his voice to say anything.

Gold watched the visitor with irritation for a moment, wondering what he wanted, but quickly realized the expression on the man’s face. He was staring at him quite intently and looking a bit distraught. Gold took a step forward, studying the man’s features again, looking for any sign of the small boy who’d slipped away from him. Had Regina fulfilled her promise? “Bae?” he asked with caution. He couldn’t keep the hopeful plea from his voice.

“Hello, father.”

Belle watched the scene in front of her with confusion as Gold rushed to the man, wrapping his arms around him tightly. “Bae, my boy. My beautiful boy. I’m so sorry!” He began crying, repeating his apology several times.

The man stood still for a moment but then finally wrapped his arms around Gold and hugged him back.

She didn’t have a clue what was going on, but Belle found the scene so touching she couldn’t help a small smile and the single tear that she had to wipe from her cheek. She watched as, after an apparently long separation, father and son were reunited.

* * *

“Emma? What are you doing here?” David asked, straightening up. He’d been leaning against the hood of his truck outside of the school, waiting for Henry to be done for the day.

“I have a break and I thought I’d come wait with you.”

“Is everything okay?” he asked, noticing how tense she seemed.

“It hasn’t been the best day.”

“I’m sorry to hear that.”

“It’s okay, I can handle it. I just needed to get away for a while.”

“Understood.” There was a pause and then David, with clear concern, said, “I haven’t heard from Regina. Have you?”

Emma shook her head sadly. She wanted to be able to tell him why – because Regina wasn’t in a place where she’d be able to contact them – but she couldn’t. She hoped that Annie was alright. She again wondered how long it would be before they returned. Emma wouldn’t even consider the possibility that they wouldn’t. Maleficent had seemed convinced that it was something Regina could handle, but Emma had noticed just the faintest hint of concern in her tone, which coming from Maleficent, was a big deal in Emma’s eyes. The woman didn’t have the best history with Regina.

David’s voice broke into her thoughts. “I’m happy to help out with Henry until she gets back.” He smiled, trying to brighten the mood. “He’s a good kid.”

“Yeah,” Emma said, smiling herself. “He really is.”

The bell in the school rang and kids began pouring out of the front entrance. Emma watched as David spotted Henry, his smile brightening as he waved.

Emma waved as well before turning back to David. She studied him as he waited for Henry, the smile never fading from his face.

“What?” he asked suddenly, feeling her gaze on him. “Do I have something on my face?”

She laughed. “No, I was just thinking about how good you are with Henry. He’s lucky to have someone like you around.”

He smiled. “I’m glad that Regina’s let me be a part of his life. It’s been wonderful watching him grow up.” He looked up, suddenly aware of just who he was talking to. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean –”

Emma waved off his apology. “It’s fine. I did what I did because I wanted him to have the best life possible, and he did.”

James nodded. “I hope to have kids of my own someday. I’d love to have a family. I just hope I’d be a good father.”

Emma swallowed hard and forced a smile onto her face. “I’m sure you’d be great.”

“Thanks.”

Emma was grateful to be saved from that line of conversation when Henry came running up to them.

“Is my mom back?” he asked hopefully.

“Not yet,” David told him, patting him on the back, “but I’m sure it won’t be long. Now come on.” He opened the passenger door for Henry. “I think it’s time for ice cream.”

“Really?” Henry asked brightly, not hesitating to slide in.

David chuckled. “Yeah. Emma? Care to join us?”

Emma started to shake her head and opened her mouth to tell them that she should be getting back to work, but Henry gave her a puppy-dog look. “Come on, Emma. Please?”

The corner of her mouth turned up in a smile as she rolled her eyes. “Alright. I could go for some ice cream.”

“Yes!” Henry cheered and slid into the middle to make room for her.


	29. Chapter 29

Deciding that perhaps the shop was not the best place to have the long-overdue family discussion, Gold asked Brian to follow him home where they could have a more private conversation. Brian had been surprised when Belle accompanied his father.

Brian gave a curious glance at Belle now as she carefully placed a cup of tea in front of both him and his father. The way his father was acting toward her was surprising and suggested there was something more than a simple working relationship between the two.

“I’ll leave you two alone,” Belle bowed her head slightly before smiling and leaving the room.

“Who is that?” Brian asked; anything to further stall the awkward conversation awaiting them.

“Her name is Belle.”

“Yes, I gathered that much. Does she live here?”

“She needed a place to stay, so yes, she is living here. She helps me around the shop and in return, she has a room here to call her own.”

“Are you in a relationship with her?”

Curiously, Gold looked both happy and pained at the same time. “Things are complicated,” he told his son. “She doesn’t remember who she is right now, but we do enjoy spending time together.”

“Why is that exactly? That she doesn’t remember, I mean? Emma told me that not everyone around here knows about their lives from our world. Was it something you did?”

Gold raised an eyebrow, interested to hear that his son had been talking to Emma, but answered with, “Not exactly.” He sighed. “Shouldn’t we be talking about what happened between us?” He cringed when Brian gave him a glare, shaking his head.

“I’m not ready to talk about that just yet. Besides, how can I understand you if I don’t understand the circumstances of what brought you here and what part you’ve played in these people’s memory loss?”

“Alright then.” Gold stood and moved to the counter before turning back to Brian and leaning on his cane. “You want to hear the whole story?”

“I do,” Brian nodded seriously.

“Then I’ll have to start from the beginning, which is when you fell through to this world. Once I start, I believe it would be much easier if I could tell it in its entirety without interruption. Is that something you can agree to?”

Brian didn’t say anything, but he nodded.

And so, Gold told him everything. He told him how he’d spent years searching for another magic bean, a portal, a spell, anything. He’d dealt with the Blue Fairy, giants, pirates (though he left out the tale of his mother’s betrayal and subsequent demise). Brian listened intently to the whole story, leaning forward with a dark curiosity as his father started to explain his final step in coming to this world. How he’d developed a curse that could merge two worlds together, bringing everyone from their world into this one. He explained how he had to train the perfect young apprentice to carry out this dark deed as he was not able to complete it himself; the Evil Queen. Finally, he ended with them living the last twenty-eight years under the curse, and then breaking it only to have to recast it once more to protect themselves.

“So the woman who came to me, who told me about you? That was the Evil Queen?” Brian asked.

“Well, Regina fulfilled her end of the bargain after all,” Gold said with interest.

Brian shook his head, thinking how dizzying it was to realize that the life of everyone from their world had become a fairytale here; stories he read his two daughters before bed. And most strangely, the “pretty stranger lady” that his youngest had been incessantly asking after for days now, turned out to be the villain from her favorite Disney movie. Brian was silent for a time, rolling over all the new information in his head. After a rough transition into this world, he’d finally moved on. He’d put his past behind him and only looked toward the future. Now, to find out that his father had regretted the decision not to come with him since the portal had closed behind him, he found himself questioning the quick and harsh judgments he’d made against the man. The methods used to come to this world, however, were still extremely questionable.

“Bae?” Gold worried what was going through his son’s mind. He hadn’t said anything for a concerning amount of time.

“It’s Brian now,” was the response, but it lacked a harsh edge.

“Of course. Brian.” Gold smiled softly.

“I just…I think I need some time to think. About all of this. Would it be alright if I took a walk?”

“Of course.” Gold nodded eagerly. It wasn’t quite the reunion he’d hoped for, but it could have been going much worse, and Gold was willing to take whatever he could get.

Gold gave a small smile when Brian turned in the doorway to say, “I’ll be back.”

* * *

Ruby was wiping down the counters following the after-school rush when Sheriff Graham came in to pick up his food.

She tossed the cleaning rag down and went to grab the paper bag containing his order. “Lunch for two?” she asked curiously. “Emma was already in here.”

“Yeah, this is for our prisoner,” Graham told her, pulling out his wallet.

“A prisoner?” Ruby asked. “You mean that crazy woman who was wandering around town a couple of days ago?” Storybrooke was a small town and gossip spread like wildfire. Being the waitress in the only diner in town had its perks; Ruby never missed anything.

“Yeah.” Graham nodded. “That would be the one.” He didn’t mention that she was now being held for breaking into Regina’s house and scaring the living daylights out of both her and her children.

“You okay?” Ruby asked, noticing the frown that appeared on Graham’s face as his thoughts seemed to slip far away.

“Hmm?” Graham took a moment to register what she’d said. “Oh, yeah. I’m fine.”

“It doesn’t look like your fine.” Ruby leaned across the counter, folding her arms. “Relationship trouble?”

“What?” Graham was taken by surprise. He had, in fact, been thinking about Regina and what she’d said the other night.

“It’s relationship trouble, I can tell. That’s sort of my thing.” She sighed heavily before her features relaxed into a soft, sympathetic expression. “Talking about it can help.”

“ _You_ want to talk about _my_ relationship problems?” Graham asked with a laugh.

“I’m a waitress. That’s not too far off from a bartender. Lay it on me.” She smiled and he chuckled.

“Maybe some other time. I should really be getting back to the station.”

“Of course.” Ruby handed him the paper bag and took his money. “I’m always here; drop by whenever you want to talk. Believe me, it’s far more interesting than waiting tables.”

He pulled open the door, chuckling. “See you later, Ruby.”

* * *

Mary Margaret watched David from across the booth they were sharing. He’d picked her up for dinner as promised and they’d been having a great time, but she couldn’t help noticing that something was off. After a pause in conversation, she set her fork down. “David, what’s wrong?”

David looked up from his plate, surprised, before asking. “Why would you think something’s wrong?”

“You keep spinning the spaghetti around your fork, but you haven’t eaten very much.”

“I’m sorry. I guess I’m just a little distracted tonight.”

“What’s going on?” Mary Margaret couldn’t keep the hint of fear from her voice. She had been wondering if David was regretting asking her out again.

David set down his fork as well. “It’s Annie. She was really sick this morning and Regina took her to get help. I haven’t heard from them since they left.” He frowned down into his plate.

Mary Margaret gasped and reached her hand over the table to grasp David’s. “Why didn’t you tell me? We didn’t have to go out tonight. We could have postponed. David, you should have said something!”

He turned her hand over and gave it a light squeeze. “Tonight is important to me. I didn’t want to ruin it.”

Mary Margaret shook her head. All the fear she’d had about his demeanor having something to do with her seemed silly now. “Tonight’s important to me, too, but you have more to worry about. I understand.” She paused for a moment. “No wonder Henry seemed upset today. Who’s looking after him?”

“Me and Emma.”

“You should be with him,” Mary Margaret said, pulling her hand back. “He’s probably frightened that he hasn’t heard anything about Annie.”

David nodded. “Thank you.” David said, pulling out his wallet and putting the money for the bill down.

“For what?” she asked.

“For being so understanding.” When she smiled at him, he added, “You should come with me. I bet he could use some distraction. If he has something to think about besides Annie and his mom, maybe he’ll have an easier time falling asleep tonight.”

Mary Margaret nodded. “I’d be happy to help.”

David extended his hand to help pull her to her feet. Once she had her coat on, he reached for her hand again and was happy when she didn’t pull it away. They left the diner together.


	30. Chapter 30

Regina sat down tiredly in front of her mirror and looked at her reflection. Hook’s information had proven useful and correct. The Queen of Hearts – Cora, her mother – had been the one to abduct her father, hiding him away in Wonderland thinking she’d gained the upper hand.

Though she now had her father back, the reflection gazing back at her was far from happy. Her mother had once again shown that love is indeed, a weakness. Taking Henry had been a power-play, and what scared Regina was that it had nearly worked. She’d allowed herself to be compromised by the absence of her father, and she’d gone to great lengths to get him back. In that moment, Regina vowed that she’d never let anyone threaten her power like that again. She would do whatever it took to stop them. Today had been a difficult day. Although she’d long since written Jefferson off as a traitor, it still hadn’t been easy to leave him trapped in that horrible world. She’d filed it away as a necessary evil, justifying it with the fact that this was finally her revenge for his betrayal. The fact that this particular form of punishment also punished an innocent child bothered her, but she was able to bury that emotion by ensuring Grace would be well cared for. She’d check in from time to time to know that the child was being properly looked after.

She looked into her own eyes, losing herself in the mirror as she tried to assure herself that today had been a victory.

 _‘If today was such a triumph, why do you feel so miserable?’_ She clamped down on the traitorous thought and closed her eyes, sighing heavily. Her reflection, as always, held no answers for her. She reached up to begin removing the pins from her hair when the voice of the mirror nearly made her jump.

“Your Majesty!”

Irritated by both his intrusion and the unnecessary loudness of his voice, she turned to the smaller mirror that held his image and snapped, “What do you want?”

He nodded his head and looked over her shoulder. “Visitors.”

Catching sight of the reflection of a small group climbing over the balcony of her private chambers in the mirror, Regina spun quickly, hand outstretched and ready to use magic to defend herself. When she caught sight of the intruders, she dropped her hand and stood in shock for a moment. The Lost Boys stood in front of her, staring back with surprised faces, unable to pry their eyes from the woman standing in front of them. She certainly wasn’t the Regina they remembered.

“Peter! Boys! What are you doing here?”

Though Peter was the bravest of the group, it was Tootles, the youngest, who stepped forward. “Hook said you helped him. He said you were a…a…” His little face contorted as he tried to recall the term Hook had given her.

“An evil queen,” Peter finished. “He said that you came to Neverland to make a deal with him. We didn’t believe him so we came to see you ourselves.”

Regina’s heart twisted painfully as she saw the Lost Boys, all watching her with hope, waiting for her to tell them it was a lie. The older boys’ hope had already begun to fade at the sight of her clothing and the expression that remained, stone-cold and unreadable, on her face. The mask that she’d developed during her reign as Queen was firmly in place and she wouldn’t allow them to see what she was truly feeling. “How did you get here?” she finally asked.

“We flew, of course,” Peter told her. “Once we told the fairies why we wanted to visit this world, they helped us.”

“And why,” she said, taking a threatening step forward, “would you do a silly thing like that?”

The group collectively took a step backward to restore the distance between them.  Her voice was dangerous, and the way she sneered at them let them know she was not the Regina they remembered.

“So it’s true?” one of the twins asked sadly. “You really are an evil queen.”

“And you really did make a deal with Hook?” the other finished.

“Yes,” Regina said coldly. “It’s all true.”

“What happened to you?” Nibs shook his head, trying to comprehend the betrayal of the woman they’d loved as a mother; a woman who now stood before them, barely recognizable. She was older, yes, but the main difference was in the way she wore her hair, her make-up, the clothing she chose and that terrifying void in her eyes. Her lack of emotion toward them – the boys she’d known since she herself was a child – frightened them all.

“I grew up,” Regina said. She laughed without humor and said, “You were wise to stay in Neverland, boys. This world is a cruel place filled with cruel people. It’s better that you should remain where your only worries are of pirates and sword-fights.”

Slightly stepped forward. “What of Jefferson?”

“And our sister? Annie?” Curly added.

The mask dropped for the briefest of seconds, showing an unimaginable pain before she caught herself and had it back in place. “Jefferson is gone; banished from this world, and Annie is dead.”

Peter and the boys flinched at how harshly the words were said and Curly wrapped an arm around Tootles’ shoulders as the small child began to cry. All of the Lost Boys had tears shining in their eyes now. Regina swallowed, but managed to keep her face clear of emotion.

“Lost Boys,” Peter addressed his crew. “I think we should go home.”

“That would be wise,” Regina told him.

“But, Peter,” Curly said quietly. “I can’t think happy thoughts.”

“Neither can I,” Nibs agreed.

“Nor I,” Slightly added.

“We can’t either,” the twins told him.

Tootles just stood crying, occasionally looking at Regina, not really aware of what was being said.

“Guards!” Regina called and two guards instantly appeared from the other side of her chamber door. “See that these children make it safely out of the palace.” The guards bowed and began to pull the children toward the door. “You may remain in my kingdom until such time as you are able to leave,” Regina told them. Just before they disappeared, she added, “I suggest you never return. Goodbye, Lost Boys. Forever.”

When their footsteps had faded away, she let out the sob she’d been holding in, but it wasn’t enough. She grabbed a crystal vase from her table and hurled it at the wall with all her might, letting out a guttural scream of agony as she did so.

“Your Majesty?” Regina started again at the second intrusion on her privacy that night, but this time she turned to see the Huntsman.

“Huntsman,” she snarled, livid that he had caught her in such a state.

“I’m sorry, your Majesty. I heard your scream and I thought you were in trouble.”

She glided over to him with a sudden calm that made him nervous. With the Queen, one could never be sure of her intent. There was rarely an emotion other than anger to give away her thoughts.

“Never mind that, Huntsman. I could use a distraction.” And without further warning, she’d pulled him in, violently kissing him. Having little choice, he returned the kiss, wrapping his arms roughly around her, pretending not to have seen her tears.

* * *

The small boat was pulled ashore by Smee and two other crew members as Regina, Daniel and Annie finally stepped onto dry land. Hook wasn’t far behind them. Daniel and Regina supported Annie’s weight between them, as Annie continued to be lightheaded. It seemed her recovery would take longer than expected. That had brought about their decision to come onto the island. They all felt it would be better for Annie to be on land, not in a rocking ship.

“Sorry about the less than grand entrance,” Hook smiled. “Every time we try to build a dock, the Lost Boys burn it down.”

“The Lost Boys,” Annie whispered happily at the same time that Regina’s heart seized painfully.

Of course – coming to Neverland would mean an inevitable run-in with the Lost Boys, but she’d somehow not put that together until now. She wasn’t sure she was ready to face them.

As if the universe was trying to mock her, the group of small children jumped from the bushes, all wielding a weapon of some sort; knives, small swords, bows and arrows.

“Stop right there, Hook,” Nibs said, stepping forward. “You’re not welcome on this island.”

“Wait!” Tootles cried, lowering his small bow and arrow. “It’s Regina!”

All the Lost Boys dropped their hands to their sides in shock and Curly stepped forward cautiously, studying the girl Regina was helping to hold up. “I think that’s Annie.”


	31. Chapter 31

Annie smiled widely through her exhaustion. “Lost Boys,” she said quietly.

“So it really is you?” Curly asked, still slowly moving toward her.

In reply, Annie nodded slowly, the action making her slightly dizzy. Within an instant, she found herself surrounded by the Lost Boys, all pressing in around her in an awkward sort of group hug, one that made it difficult to keep ahold of Daniel and Regina. This did make her dizzy and she couldn’t even tell from whom the suddenly unending questions and statements were coming from.

“She told us you were dead.”

“What did she do to you?”

“Are you okay?”

“Why didn’t you ever come back?”

“We missed you!”

“Did you miss us?”

“Boys, boys…” Regina tightened her grip around Annie to keep them from being separated. “We can answer all of your questions, but Annie isn’t feeling well. Perhaps you have a place she can rest first?”

The boys were all quick to step back at hearing Annie was sick.

“Of course,” Nibs said quickly. He spoke as leader and Regina looked around, noticing for the first time that Peter was not among them.

“But Hook isn’t allowed to follow,” Slightly said, shooting a venomous look at the pirate captain.

“We shouldn’t let Regina come either,” Curly said. “She’s a pirate now, too. Look at what she’s wearing.”

“Don’t forget that she’s an evil queen,” one of the twins added.

The other finished with, “And she told us she never wanted to see us again.”

Tootles was silent, not having spoken since his recognition of Regina. Regina watched his quiet observance sadly, knowing the young child had probably been hurt the most by her actions. He was too young to even begin to understand her betrayal. She also couldn’t help but be reminded of a young Henry and her heart broke at the memories of what she’d said to these children.

Before she could speak, however, Annie whispered, “She goes where I go.” She’d been quickly draining of energy since she awoke and the Lost Boys, noticing that she appeared to be growing weaker, nodded.

“Alright, but no Hook.”

Regina glanced over to where Hook was standing with his men. He nodded at her. “You can find me here if you need me.”

“Alright,” Nibs said loudly. “Follow us.”

Regina and Daniel, Annie between them, followed the boys for what seemed like half an hour. Finally, they stopped at the base of a gigantic tree; the biggest Regina had ever seen. She looked at the Lost Boys in confusion. “Why have we stopped?”

“We’re here,” Nibs told her plainly.

Frowning, Regina looked around, but didn’t see anything. “I thought you were taking us somewhere for Annie to rest?”

“This is our home now,” Curly said.

“We built it when you helped Hook so that you couldn’t tell him where we lived,” one of the twins told her.

“And we’ll have to build another one when you leave this time,” the other said.

“It’s too bad,” Slightly frowned. “I rather liked this home.”

“I don’t understand,” Daniel spoke up for the first time since arriving on the island, and the Lost Boys all looked at the stranger. They didn’t know what to make of him, but he was helping Annie, so he couldn’t be all bad. “This tree is your home?”

“Our home is _in_ the tree,” Nibs said proudly. He stepped forward and pushed on a knotted portion of the trunk. A section of tree popped inward and moved aside, revealing an opening with a staircase inside.

Annie gasped as Daniel and Regina looked at one another in astonishment.

The boys all rushed forward, running up the stairs. Nibs stayed behind, waiting for Regina, Daniel and Annie. He pressed against the trunk again once they were all inside and the tree rolled shut. It should have been dark, but it wasn’t; tiny little lights wound up around the staircase.

Regina had very little time to admire how beautiful it all was. It took too much effort getting Annie up the spiral staircase. The tree – amazingly – was so large that it was wide enough for them all to fit. The tree’s height was definitely proportionate to its circumference, however, and the staircase stretched up for a dizzying distance. It was a silent trip except for the occasional small whine from Annie which was quickly responded to with a tighter grasp and words of encouragement.

“Almost there, Annie,” Daniel said, seeing that they were approaching the top, where daylight shone through brightly.

“Hang on, honey,” Regina added as Annie leaned more heavily into her. Finally, they reached the top and all three of them looked around in amazement. It was a gigantic tree house. The main portion of it was a flat floor with a table and chairs, the only roof being the branches overhead. The floor split off into different levels with small staircases as they went higher up into the branches. Several small roofed portions were scattered on these different levels – the places where the Lost Boys slept.

“Over here,” Nibs directed them. They came to the closest of the sections, where there was a makeshift pillow bed made up of covered leaves and feathers.

Daniel took most of Annie’s weight and gently lowered her down as Regina kept her hands on her comfortingly. The second Annie was on the bed, she was asleep. Daniel pulled a blanket up over her as he settled next to her on the ground, not wanting to leave her side. Regina turned to find the Lost Boys gathered around, all with questioning looks. She ducked her head down to get out from under the covered portion and led the group away from where Annie was resting. Slightly ran ahead of her and pulled a chair away from the table, turning it around and gesturing for her to sit down.

“Thank you,” Regina said. She attempted a small smile, but he frowned at her. The Lost Boys gathered around as she sat down, though they were all careful to stay out of arm’s length. “I suppose we have much to discuss?” she questioned them.

Nibs nodded. “You start. Tell us why you lied about Annie.”


	32. Chapter 32

As the sun started its descent, Regina did her best to tell the Lost Boys about the main events of the last several decades, but they were dark and she didn’t know how to explain everything to such a young crowd. They all leaned forward, trying to understand how she’d become the Evil Queen, but they knew they weren’t getting the whole story.

“How come you lied about Annie?” Curly asked. “You told us she was dead.”

“That’s what I believed,” Regina told them desperately. “I’d been told she was dead and there was nothing to show that it was a lie.” She looked down at her lap where her hands were resting, feelings of guilt surfacing once more. If she hadn’t believed her mother so blindly, if she’d thought to do any investigation at all, maybe Annie would have been saved the years of unhappiness. Annie had promised her that she wasn’t to blame, but Regina knew that those feelings would never disappear. “I wish that I would have known that she was still alive. I wish it with all my heart.”

The boys remained silent, watching her intently, still on guard. Slightly was the first to break the silence. “Wait…how…how are you still the same age? You said that it’s been almost thirty years since you’ve seen us, but in your world, you age. Only people in Neverland never grow up.”

“It’s the curse I told you about,” Regina tried to explain. “It took everyone from my world into a different world. One where I ensured that time would remain frozen until the curse was broken.”

“But why would you do that?”

Regina took a deep breath. This was not a question that was easily answered. “I had nothing left. Daniel and Annie were both gone, Snow had betrayed me, magic had twisted my soul. I was fueled by anger, hatred, and darkness, but most of all, a need for something more. I wanted to be in a place where I was the one in control. Where I could be happy and no one would be able to take that from me. I wasn’t thinking about anything else.”

One of the twins leaned forward. “How do we know that you aren’t still evil?”

“And that you’re not just trying to trick us?” the other asked.

Regina’s eyes softened as she looked around at the boys. “I have nothing but my word to give you as proof. I know that isn’t much, but I hope to earn back your trust eventually. Things are different now, _I’m_ different. Daniel and Annie are alive, and I have a son now.” She smiled thinking of Henry. She’d been worried about him being back in Storybrooke, but was comforted by the knowledge that Emma and David would take good care of him.

Nibs eyes widened, “You have a son?”

“How old is he?” Curly asked.

“What’s his name?” Slightly wondered.

“What does he look like?” the twins asked simultaneously.

Regina laughed quietly. “His name is Henry, and he’s ten. He has brown hair, freckles and he gets that same troublemaker face that I’ve seen on all of you.” She looked at them all playfully, one eyebrow raised, a smile on her face. The boys all smiled back, except for Tootles. The youngest, who’d been sitting behind the rest of the boys slipped off toward where Annie was, unnoticed by everyone but Regina. She frowned. “What’s the matter with Tootles?” she asked the others. She knew that her return had not exactly been welcome, but the continued solemnity of the smallest Lost Boy had her a bit concerned.

Nibs looked at her sadly. “Neverland hasn’t been the same since we went to see you. It took us a while to get back here. Peter had to contact the fairies.” He leaned forward and whispered, “He had to ask Hook for help.” The words came out as if they caused him physical pain to say. The rest of the Lost Boys dropped their eyes to the ground, ashamed. “We called a temporary truce. It was the only way to get home. Things were almost normal again, but Peter was mad about asking Hook for help. He left not very long after we went to visit you. He’s gone.” Regina looked around at them all in shock. Peter Pan had been their fearless leader for as long as any of them could remember, and he’d abandoned them? Because of her.

Standing up, Nibs looked around at all of the other Lost Boys. “Night comes, Lost Boys. We’ll help Annie in the morning. Time for sleep.” Most of them made a noise of objection, but all of them shuffled off to bed. Nibs remained and when the last of the others had disappeared, he turned back to Regina. “Tootles has been the worst. Everyone has been sad since Peter left, but Tootles hasn’t been the same since we went to your world. He hasn’t even been able to fly.” Regina closed her eyes for a minute to contain the heartbreak she felt at this comment. The only thing that stood between a Lost Boy and flying were happy thoughts, and to not be able to fly meant that Tootles hadn’t had any thoughts happy enough.

“He cries sometimes at night,” Nibs said sadly. “The others don’t notice, but my bed is the closest to his and I can hear him. I asked him one time why he was crying and he said that he couldn’t remember what a goodnight kiss felt like.” Nibs watched her reaction and felt, maybe, there was hope that the Regina they’d known wasn’t lost forever after all. “It’s been really hard. We’re just kids, but after Peter left, I felt like I had to grow up a little. Peter always took care of us, but I didn’t know how. I was older than him when I came here, but he always knew more about how to have adventures and how to keep us from getting into _too_ much trouble.” He tried not to flinch as Regina reached out to grasp his hand. He relaxed when she gave it a light squeeze.

“You’ve done a wonderful job, Nibs, but you don’t have to be in charge forever. That’s a lot to ask. And you don’t have to stay in Neverland. You always have the option to come back with Daniel, Annie and I.”

Nibs looked at her in confusion. “You mean grow up?”

Regina gave him a small smile. “It’s not as bad as it sounds.” She winced, thinking back to their last visit. “Or as bad as I told you it was.” She dropped his hand. “You don’t have to decide right away – you still have some time. We can talk more about it later.”

After a few moments of deep thought, Nibs finally nodded. “I’ll think about it and talk to the Lost Boys. Goodnight, Regina.”

“Goodnight, Nibs.” She watched him walk off past where she’d left Annie and Daniel. She stood and followed. The first thing she noticed was that Daniel had fallen asleep on the ground next to Annie, a blanket pulled up over him. The second thing she noticed was Tootles sitting outside the shelter, watching from a distance. He had his knees pulled up under his chin, head resting on them as he looked at Annie. Regina could tell as she approached that he was crying. Doing the first thing that came to her, she walked over and brushed a hand gently through his hair.

He jumped up and away from the contact, spinning with surprise to look at her. She gazed down at him with concern. She hadn’t meant to frighten him. He watched her with big eyes before his face crumpled and he started to cry again. Without a second thought, Regina reached her arms out and picked him up, hugging him to her. She was grateful when, rather than fighting her, Tootles wrapped his arms around her neck and buried his face into her neck. She grasped him firmly in one arm while she ran her free hand through his hair repetitively, whispering into his ear. “I’m sorry. I’m so sorry!” She rocked him gently, trying to calm his tears. Eventually, it started to work and she felt his breathing begin to even out. “How about we get some sleep?” Regina asked him quietly. He only nodded in response.

Looking to the right, Regina spotted the only shelter left unoccupied. Based on where Nibs had disappeared to, she guessed this was the place Tootles normally slept. Like many of the other boys, the bed was a hammock, hung haphazardly between two posts. Because of how small he was, a step had been placed beside it that Tootles most likely used to crawl into the hammock. Eyeing the hammock warily – she didn’t trust its durability – Regina finally decided it would hold both of their weight. She pushed the step to the side with her foot and lowered herself to sit sideways on the hammock with Tootles still wrapped in her arms. When she was sure that they weren’t going to fall, Regina leaned back and awkwardly pulled her legs into the hammock. She was pleasantly surprised by how comfortable she found herself, head and back elevated but fully supported. It made it much easier to continue holding Tootles. “Is this okay?” she asked him, and he again nodded wordlessly.” She reached for the blanket and did her best to pull it over them. She settled back to find Tootles had lifted his head and was studying her. Silently, one hand came up and gently caressed her cheek. He ran his fingers over her forehead, down her nose and then around her eyes.

“You’re older,” he said. With a deep sadness, he added, “You’re a real mommy now – your forgot me.”

It took her a moment to find her voice through the tears, “I didn’t,” she said, shaking her head. “And I never will.”

“But will you come back to be our mommy, too?”

“Coming here isn’t as easy as it used to be,” Regina told him sadly. She felt him tense and he looked to be on the verge of tears again so she said, “But you can come with me.” She knew that Nibs would most likely be upset that she’d offered this to him without discussing it with him first, but she also knew that Nibs would want Tootles to be happy and she wanted to give him a choice.

He blinked at her through tears and she marveled at how young he was. Growing up with the boys, she’d never taken the time to appreciate how truly young they all were and how amazing it was that they’d taken care of themselves for so long. Tootles had never reached the age of five and it made her ache to think these children had spent so long without parents to comfort and guide them.

“Really?” His voice was so quiet, she barely heard him. “I can come, too?”

She smiled and nodded. “Of course you can. Only if you want to,” she added quickly.

“I want to!” he burst, nodding his head frantically. “Please let me!”

“You’re coming, then. That’s that. Now let’s sleep.” She kissed his forehead gently. “Goodnight, Tootles.”

He sighed happily and burrowed down, wrapping his arms firmly around her. “Goodnight.”

* * *

Emma blinked sleepily over her coffee cup at Granny’s. It was another early morning. David thankfully had agreed to watch Henry after she’d gotten an emergency call. It turned out to be a raccoon knocking over a garbage can. Not at all worth having gotten out of bed at the ridiculous hour she had. She took another sip and then choked on it when she lowered the cup, catching sight of a familiar face outside the diner. Neal was outside, and he was headed straight for the door!

Irrationally, Emma slid down in her booth attempting to hide herself. It was childish – she was the only person in the diner other than Granny and Ruby, who were preparing for the breakfast rush. Ruby gave her a curious look, catching sight of the strange behavior before her eyes followed Emma’s to the door as it was pushed open.

“I’m sorry,” Neal said. “I hope you’re open. I’ve been driving all night and I was really hoping I could get something to eat.”

“Uhhh, yeah,” Ruby said and smiled. “You’re not from Storybrooke.”

“No, I’m not – I’m from New York. Why?”

“It’s just…we don’t get a whole lot of visitors here.” She leaned forward on the counter. “Are you here for a while or are you just passing through?”

“I actually came to find someone,” he told her.

Ruby’s attention was caught by Emma sliding even further down in her booth. Neal noticed the shift and turned to look. “Emma?”

Emma froze mid-slide and winced at being spotted. She quickly gathered herself and sat up straight. She couldn’t keep the anger from her voice when she replied, “Hello, Neal.”


	33. Chapter 33

Ruby looked on in confusion, eyes darting back and forth between the newcomer and Emma. “You two know each other?”

“Yeah,” Emma said darkly. “You could say that. Neal, what are you doing here?”

“Brian called me.”

“So you, what? Drove all night to get here? When did he call you?”

“Yesterday evening.”

“Jesus, Neal.” Emma paced a few times before Neal grabbed her arm.

“Hey, can we sit and talk?” His stomach growled and to lighten the mood, he added, “I’m kinda hungry.” He gave her a small smile, which she didn’t return. She did, however, turn and stride back to the booth to sit. He followed slowly behind her.

They sat in tense silence as Ruby made her way over with her pad and pencil. It had taken her a minute to snap out of her daze. She’d been watching them with curiosity. It seemed Emma definitely had a past with this guy. A big one. “What can I get ya?”

Neal didn’t even glance at a menu. “A stack of pancakes and could you bring extra syrup?”

“Sure,” Ruby said. “Anything else?”

“Yeah, a black coffee please.”

“Alright, comin’ right up.” She retreated backwards a few steps before spinning around, reluctant to leave earshot of what was certain to be a juicy conversation.

“Sooooo,” Neal started awkwardly. He’d been thinking about what he was going to say all night on his drive over, but seeing Emma, it all disappeared. His mind had gone blank.

“What the hell, Neal?” Emma took over. “You couldn’t give me any notice? You just show up after all this time? I can’t believe you, after everything you did to me!”

Neal hung his head. “I know how it all looks Emma. It looks bad. You thought I set you up and left for Canada on my own.”

“That’s what it _looks_ like?” Emma screeched. She realized how loud she’d become when both Ruby and Granny stopped their movements to look at her. She lowered her voice back down to just above a whisper, though her tone was still angry. “That’s what you _did_! You told me to meet you, and then you left. With the watches, with the car…my dreams,” she couldn’t keep the hurt from her voice, but she didn’t want to appear weak in front of him so she quickly went on. “They arrested _me_ for stealing those watches. I spent time in jail while you were living it up in Canada on the money you got for selling the watches _I_ was supposed to have stolen.” She shook her head. “Don’t get me wrong, I know that I was guilty and that I deserved to be arrested, but not in place of you. Not because you tipped them off so that you would have more time to get away! I did _not_ deserve to be set up!”

She looked up to see Neal staring at her with the last expression she’d been expecting to see; confusion. “The money was for you.”

“No, it was for _us_ , until you ruined that chance!”

“No, I mean, I gave it to August to give to you along with the car and the keychain.”

Now it was Emma’s turn to stare at _him_ in confusion. “What are you talking about?” She’d received the car and the keychain, but there certainly hadn’t been a wad of cash included in that delivery. And then she processed the rest of his sentence. “August?” She leaned in, eyes narrowed. “August who?”

“Ummm…” Neal searched his memory for a name. It had been so long, but the man had made quite an impression on him. “Booth. Yeah. August Booth.”

Emma jumped back in her seat as if she’d been electrocuted. Neal was concerned by the complete shock on her face. She quickly composed herself, however, and leaned in, her tone dangerous. “What does August have to do with any of this?”

Neal took his time explaining everything from the moment August had shown up, stopping only when the pancakes were set in front of him. He thanked Ruby, but left them untouched as he continued his story. The usual breakfast crowd began filtering in as he continued, and they all glanced over to notice the stranger sitting across from Emma. Fortunately, none of them approached. “It was crazy, Emma,” he finished. “I couldn’t believe that you had anything to do with the curse or that world. It had been so long, I’d almost forgotten about all of it myself.”

She opened her mouth to ask him how exactly he was connected to that world when she was stopped dead by the sight of Henry bouncing over toward them. She caught David’s eye over him and did her best to convey to him that he should get the hell out and take Henry with him; eyes wide, shaking her head almost imperceptibly, lips pressed together in a thin line – a clear expression of distress. It didn’t work. It managed to confuse both him and Neal, but it didn’t have the outcome she’d wanted and a second later, Henry was standing at the edge of the table smiling at her.

“Hey, Emma! David said we could stop by for breakfast here on the way to school. He didn’t know where anything was in mom’s kitchen. I thought you had to be at work this morning?”

“I uhhh, I did. I have a break right now so I stopped to get some coffee.” This was not the way she wanted either of them finding out about each other. As far as she was concerned, it was a closed case in regards to Henry. And with Neal? Well, she planned to judge whether or not he deserved to know, and if she did tell him, that would be it. No meeting, no contact of any sort. Just, you have a son, thought you should know, goodbye. He’d given up any other rights when he’d ditched her in prison. It was her worst nightmare coming to life. Neal was sitting across from her, back from the past, and Henry was standing right there. It was like watching a car wreck in slow motion. You knew it was coming, but there was nothing you could do to stop it. So far, there was no suspicion from anyone, as Henry had called her Emma and there was no reason anyone should have to make any connections. Except for her odd behavior; something that had obviously not gone unnoticed by anyone as they were all looking at her strangely.

“Emma, you okay?” David asked.

_‘God, I’m an idiot!’_ she could kick herself. “Yeah, yeah. I’m fine. Rough morning.”

“Who’re you?” Henry asked, looking at Neal.

“Henry!” Emma yelled at the same time David scolded him. She hoped that her voice had come off with a scolding tone as well, but unfortunately, it had been more of a desperate yell.

David raised an eyebrow at her reaction and then shifted focus back to Henry. “It’s rude to ask it that way,” he explained.

“Sorry.” Henry shuffled his feet for a moment, but he hadn’t been deterred. “I meant, I haven’t seen you in town before? Are you new?” He looked to David for approval and David nodded.

Neal smiled. “Yeah, I’m just visiting Emma here. We’re old friends. Name’s Neal.” He stuck out a hand and smiled at the boy. “How about you?”

“I’m Henry,” Henry shook his hand as firmly as he could and Neal laughed good naturedly. “I’m Emma’s—”

“Aren’t you,” Emma started to yell over him, “-going to run out of time for breakfast before school starts?”

“Nooo,” Henry said. Even he was starting to be weirded out by how strangely Emma was acting. “I still have an hour.”

“Right, well,” David said, trying to save Emma from…he wasn’t sure what, “we’ve taken up enough of the gentleman’s time, Henry. How about we get some breakfast?”

“Okay,” Henry agreed, shrugging. “It was nice to meet you, Neal.”

“Nice to meet you, too, kid.” Neal smiled. He watched them walk toward the counter where Ruby was waiting and chucked a thumb over his shoulder. “Cute kid.”

“Yeah.” Emma couldn’t even manage a fake smile. She was still paralyzed by the fear of the situation she’d just narrowly avoided. “You know what? I’m gonna leave you to your pancakes. I’m suddenly not feeling very well. How about we meet up later and talk? Here, maybe? Tonight?”

“Like a date?”

Emma glared at him. “Four, then. And just so we get something straight – there will be no dates, no trying to get me back, no nothing. We’re going to talk, you’re going to explain yourself, you’re going to leave. That’s going to be how this goes. Understand?”

Neal swallowed and nodded. This Emma was much harsher than the one he’d been in love with all those years ago. _She’d_ needed someone to take care of her, love her and look after her. _This_ Emma needed no such thing. It was clear she was an independent, take-charge kind of person. He supposed he shouldn’t have been surprised. She’d have to be after what he’d done. He watched her leave some cash on the table for the coffee, wave to Henry, David and Ruby and leave. Not even a glance back at him over her shoulder. This was going to be a lot harder than he’d thought.

* * *

Daniel woke up slowly, trying to remember where he was. He was lying down – not comfortably, but not uncomfortably either. He had a blanket over him, which was more than he’d had for a long time. It wasn’t freezing cold as it normally was, either. When he opened his eyes, the first thing he saw was a hand resting not too far from his face. Looking more carefully, he was able to trace that arm back to a sleeping Annie. That’s when the previous day came rushing back to him; Regina, Captain Hook, the ship, the barrier, Annie. It hadn’t all been a dream. He smiled watching his sister sleep. She looked so peaceful. He wondered now how he hadn’t been able to recognize her in Storybrooke. Yes, she’d been many years older than the last time he’d seen her, but she looked so much like their mother. He should have known immediately that it was her. Standing quietly, he stretched and looked around at the surroundings. He wondered how it was that such a small group of young children had managed to build such a place. It was truly amazing. Not closed off to the outside air, but sheltered from it. There were little twinkling lights throughout the branches and he wondered how they worked. They didn’t appear to be flame; the lights simply floated in their glass enclosures. Walking to the edge, he could look out through the branches to see the beautiful sparkling water of Neverland; at least, this half of it. The sun was only just beginning to rise and it cast an orangey-yellow light over everything. He could see why Regina had returned to this place so many times, and why she’d wanted to share it with Annie. It was a truly amazing world. There were pirates, fairies, children who never grew up, and it was a beautiful island.

Remembering Regina, he looked around in confusion. Surely she wouldn’t have left them here? Catching sight of a hammock containing a person bigger than a child, he made his way over. He was surprised by the sight of Regina, fast asleep with her arms wrapped protectively and lovingly around the youngest child. The child had his head nestled down below her chin, a faint smile on his lips in sleep. It was a much more relaxed expression than he’d seen on the boy’s face when he’d been awake. In fact, the boy had appeared down-right distraught. Whatever had been bothering him seemed to have been fixed by Regina. She, too, appeared more relaxed in sleep. She wasn’t smiling, but her expression was tranquil. There were no lines of worry creasing her perfect skin. And it _was_ perfect; he’d nearly forgotten after so long of not seeing it close-up. She’d aged a few years from the Regina he remembered, but it somehow only added to her beauty. She sighed quietly, making Daniel panic a bit, thinking she was waking up. However, it seemed she was only shifting in her sleep as she rubbed a hand over Tootles back before tightening her hold slightly and turning her head the opposite direction. Daniel’s attention was drawn to the hand resting on the boy’s back. Something had glinted brightly in the morning light when she’d moved. He realized in amazement that it was the ring he’d given her that night in the stables when she’d asked him to marry her. He’d seen her wearing it around her neck in the palace under her dresses, and hiding it beneath her shirts in Storybrooke after the curse had been cast, but he’d also seen her throwing it into the hat to get it to work. Sacrificing it to save the curse. But here it was, on her finger and he had to admit that it looked right there, like it belonged.

“You shouldn’t be so hard on her, you know.”

Daniel nearly jumped out of his skin at the sound of Annie’s voice. He hadn’t heard her come up behind him. “Annie,” he gasped.

“Sorry, I didn’t mean to scare you.” She watched him glance back at Regina. “I know you still love her. It was obvious with the way you were watching her a minute ago.”

Daniel opened his mouth to protest, but Annie gave him a sharp look that cut it off. “I’ve seen everything about her that you have; I was right there for some of it. I lived with her disliking me for twenty-eight years, and I’m still not angry with her like you are.”

“It’s different.” Daniel only shrugged.

“That’s it? It’s different? How can you be satisfied with that?”

Daniel sighed in frustration and walked away from Regina, not wanting to wake her. He waited for Annie to follow before responding. “I’m not! I’m not satisfied at all. I want nothing more than for things to go back to the way they were before, but they can’t. _That_ Regina’s not around anymore.”

“Can’t you see?” Annie asked. “She’s right there!” She pointed to Regina. “She’s not the same person you saw in those visions. She’s changed since the curse broke. Haven’t you seen that?”

Daniel shook his head. “I’ve only seen what happened while everyone was cursed.” He watched her curiously. “What happened? How come you didn’t recognize her? Why did you let her treat you that way if you knew who she was?”

“I didn’t. Daniel, I didn’t remember. I was under a different kind of curse – one that stole my memories.”

“She did that to you and still you forgive her?” he asked with disgust.

“Daniel, you’re not listening! Stop jumping to conclusions and let me talk!” She was growing frustrated with his attitude toward Regina. “She didn’t do that to me.” She took a deep breath; this was going to take some explaining. “Right after…right after…” she couldn’t bring herself to say it.

Seeing her distress, Daniel took a guess and finished. “After I died?”

She nodded. “Cora found me.” By the alarm in Daniel’s expression, Annie knew that he was beginning to understand where this was going. “She called for Elise and I was locked up in a tower, forbidden to interact with the outside world. I was told it was for my protection.”

“But how’d you lose your memories?” Daniel asked, confused by the missing portion of her story.

“I was so hysterical, nothing could calm me down. I wanted you back, I wanted Regina, I couldn’t believe I’d lost the rest of my family like we did our parents.” She swallowed tears that threatened to form before going on. “So Elise took me to the Goblin King Jareth – the man in charge of the Labyrinth – and he gave me a peach that stole all of my memories. Elise gave me my new name, Rapunzel, and then took me back to the tower; a place I now believed I’d spent most of my life in. I was told that my parents had died in a terrible accident and that I should never venture out into the dangerous world.” She closed her eyes at the memories of that terrible existence. “After a few years, my special abilities started to shine through.”

Daniel’s eyebrows rose in surprise. “Abilities?”

“My hair, mostly.” Annie subconsciously drew a hand through her hair now. “It was blonde and had a glow. If I wrapped it around any injury, I could heal it.”

“You, too?” Daniel looked amazed. “I mean, my hair didn’t glow, but I possessed a healing ability that saved me from death when Cora ripped my heart out.”

“What happened to you?” Annie whispered. She was curious to know how Daniel had escaped death and where he’d been between that time and the time Regina had cast the curse.

“I’ll explain it to you some other time. For now, I just want to hear about you. What happened after your abilities started to show?”

“Well, I remained trapped for years, until Elise made a deal with the Evil Queen;  a lock of my hair in return for a curse that would allow Elise to take control of Wonderland. It provided a window of opportunity for me to escape. Rumpelstiltskin helped. Or at least, I thought he was helping at the time. Really, he had made his own deal with the queen. She tracked me down and—”

“I know the rest,” Daniel said darkly, holding up a hand to stop her. “What happened after the curse broke?”

“Well,” Annie thought back. It was so strange to be looking back at those events now, after everything that had happened. “I went to Regina for help. The people of Storybrooke were rioting and everyone thought Regina would be safer outside of town, so she took Henry, Grace and I away for a few days. Before she remembered who I was, Daniel. She still protected me.” She was tired from all of these explanations, so she summed up the end. “We found out who had stolen my memories and Regina took me to get them back. I had to relive all of them. Regina saw it all, too. Daniel, you should have seen her when she recognized you. When she realized who _I_ was. She’s been nothing but loving and supportive since that day. And it’s not just me, Daniel. Surely you saw how she was with Henry, even before the curse broke.”

Daniel’s features softened at the mention of the little boy who was Regina’s son. He’d observed her change in disposition when it came to him. He couldn’t help but love the boy through extension. “I did.”

“Daniel, just give her a chance to explain. I know you think you’ve seen everything, but you don’t know what she had going through her mind. You haven’t been close to her like I have the past week. Please, don’t just write her off. Please?”

Daniel finally nodded. “I’ll talk to her.”

Annie studied him intensely, looking for any signs that he was just saying that to make her happy. He noticed.

“I promise, Annie. I’ll give her a fair chance to explain everything.” He was relieved when Annie leaned into him, hugging him tightly.

“Thank you.”


	34. Chapter 34

When there was a knock on the front door, Gold was quick to open it, relieved to find Bae – or rather, Brian – standing on the other side.

“I thought…” Gold started. “I thought maybe you’d decided to leave.”

Brian looked at him, but he’d done a good job at concealing his emotions and Gold couldn’t tell what he was feeling. “I’m sorry I didn’t come back last night. It was a long walk and I decided maybe it would be best to sleep on it.”

“Of course,” Gold stepped aside. “Would you like to come in?”

“Not yet,” Brian answered. “I’m not ready yet. I can’t just trust that you’ve changed. Especially because of what you did to get here. You manipulated people, cursed them to live out an unhappy life—”

“ _I_ didn’t curse them,” Rumpelstiltskin was quick to point out.

“No, but you made sure someone else did in your place.” He sighed heavily. “I know you did it to find me, and the fact that you never stopped searching for a way through – that this was your last resort – I’m not overlooking that. I guess what I’m saying is…” He closed his eyes and took a breath. Gold leaned forward slightly, not knowing what he should expect. Finally, Brian went on. “I’m willing to let you back in to my life – at least, a little – I just can’t trust you yet. Not until you prove yourself deserving of that trust.”

Gold actually smiled at this. A second chance was what he’d been hoping for. Just a chance to show his son he could change; certainly not an easy task by any means. “Where do you propose we start?” Gold asked.

“Well, I’m going to leave town for now. I have to finish thinking things through. Then maybe…I was thinking I might bring my family to meet you.”

Gold raised his eyebrows in surprise. “Family?” he asked softly.

“Yes,” Brian said slowly, unsure still if he wanted to be telling him this. “My wife and two daughters.”

Eyes brightening significantly, Gold smiled through his shock. “I have two granddaughters?” he marveled to himself. “What are their names? How old are they?”

“Claire is six and Sophie is four.”

“And you’ll let me meet them?” Gold asked hopefully.

Brian was silent a moment. “I want you to see them and I want them to meet you, but I don’t want to tell them who you are right away. I don’t want them to be disappointed later if it doesn’t work out.”

Gold’s smile faded. “Like _you_ were disappointed?”

Brian was silent again and Gold nodded sadly. “I understand. I’d be happy to meet them, even if they don’t know who I am.”

“I also don’t want them to know about the whole fairytale thing. That messed me up pretty badly and I don’t want that to ruin their lives like it did mine. I’ve worked hard to give them a happy, normal life and I don’t want anything getting in the way of that.”

“They don’t have to find out,” Gold told him. “I give you my word that I won’t tell them.” He kept silent on the question he wanted to ask, however. He wanted to know what had happened to his son – why Bae’s life had been ruined. He knew that it couldn’t have been easy for a child to come through from a different world. It seemed Emma and August had both led rough lives and it saddened him to think that his son had most likely suffered the same fate – all because of him.

“Alright, well…” Brian shifted his feet awkwardly. “I’m gonna go now, but I’ll come back.” He pulled out a scrap of paper with a number scribbled on it. “This is my cell number. Give me a few days and then you can call me.”

Gold took the paper with a grateful smile. Bae turned to leave but Gold’s voice rang out, “Bae.”

He turned to look at his father.

“It’s wonderful to see you again.”

“Yeah.” Bae gave him a small smile in return. “It’s good to see you, too.”

Gold waited until he’d disappeared from sight to shut the door. He turned to find a smiling Belle watching him.

“I’m sorry,” she said. “I didn’t mean to be eavesdropping. I just came downstairs to get a cup of tea.”

“That’s alright, dearie,” he told her, giving her shoulder a pat as he limped past her. “I was about to get a cup myself.”

Belle followed him into the kitchen. “I think it’s sweet. You find each other after all these years and you’re working things out.”

Gold had a hopeful smile as he put a pot of water on. “I think this is something I can fix.”


	35. Chapter 35

Regina woke up slowly. The first thing she noticed was that there was something on top of her and she wondered what it was. Opening her eyes and placing her surroundings, she realized it was a who, not a what. She smiled, remembering the previous night, and brought a hand up to gently run it through the small child’s hair. He hummed, twitching slightly in his sleep, before nuzzling into her neck.

Laughing softly, Regina rubbed his back, coaxing him to wake up. “Tootles. It’s morning. Time to get up.”

“Hmmm?” He lifted his head sleepily and slowly blinked his eyes open. When they focused on Regina, his eyes went wide and his face broke into a grin. He threw himself back down on her, wrapping his arms around her tightly. “Regina! I was scared you were in my dream and then I’d wake up and you would be gone and I’d be really sad.”

She smiled before attempting to sit up under his weight. Immediately, her eyes fell on Daniel – not too far away – watching her. He quickly averted his eyes. Regina put her feet on the ground. Rather than letting go, Tootles wrapped his legs around her waist and readjusted his arms so they were around her neck. “Can I still come with you?” he asked hopefully.

“Of course you can!” She ran her finger down his nose and tapped it and he giggled. “I wouldn’t leave you behind.”

Rising to her feet, Regina glanced around, not seeing Annie anywhere. She made her way cautiously over to Daniel. “Where’s Annie?” she asked when she was near enough.

“Some of the Lost Boys wanted to show her something.” He couldn’t help but give a small smile to the boy in her arms who’d suddenly become shy, ducking his head down to Regina’s shoulder. “And who might you be?”

“Tootles,” he said quietly.

“It’s nice to meet you, Tootles,” Daniel said, extending a hand. “I’m Daniel.”

Head popping up, Tootles smiled and shook his hand from Regina’s arms. “I know who you are.”

“You do?” Daniel asked. The boy was adorable, and he couldn’t keep from grinning at him.

“Yep. Regina talked about you a lot. She used to tell us all of your stories.”

Daniel glanced at Regina who smiled faintly at him before looking back at Tootles. “Well, not _all_ of them, but a lot of them.”

“I get to come with you!” Tootles exclaimed happily, bouncing slightly so that Regina had to tighten her hold on him.

“What do you mean?” Daniel asked in confusion.

Regina answered, “I told Nibs that the boys could come with us when we left Neverland; that they don’t have to be alone anymore. He’s going to talk to them about it. Tootles and I talked last night, though, and he’s coming back regardless of the other boys’ decision.”

Daniel watched Regina as she smiled at Tootles. It brought to mind the images of her with a young Henry. Annie was right; she hadn’t changed completely. There were still traces of the young, kind-hearted Regina he’d known. “You’re going to raise him along with Henry? With the curse?” he asked curiously.

She looked at him and he could tell that she was thinking about her answer.

It was true, she’d asked Tootles if he wanted to come with her – to leave Neverland behind – but she hadn’t really thought about what that meant. She hadn’t thought twice about being the one to raise him, but Daniel’s simple question reminded her of the difficult circumstances she’d be bringing the young boy into. There was the issue of the curse, her position in town, the fact that everyone there viewed her as a villain – or would again, after the curse was broken once more – the custody battle she’d inevitably find herself in over Henry (legal or otherwise). Was it fair to Tootles? She looked at him again and seeing the hope in his eyes, feeling his little fingers gripping her shirt tighter in anticipation of her answer, she knew she couldn’t let anyone else take care of this sweet, innocent child. She’d hurt him once before; it was her job to fix that and to make sure he grew up happy. Eyes not leaving Tootles’ – she was answering him first – she nodded. When he grinned and buried his head into her shoulder, she looked at David again. “Yes,” she told him. “I’m going to raise him.”

Daniel nodded silently. In spite of everything that Regina had done over the years, one thing that he could not argue was that she’d been a good mother to Henry. Feeling the need to shift the conversation, he said, “It shouldn’t be long before we can leave. Annie’s feeling much better. We might even be able to try later today.”

Regina sighed in relief. “That’s great news!”

Their conversation was interrupted by the sounds of whooping and laughter as the boys spilled out from the staircase, Annie in their midst. It was clear that whatever they’d been doing, they’d all been having a lot of fun.

Smiling at the scene, Regina and Daniel moved to join them. There was a lot they all needed to talk about.


	36. Chapter 36

Regina followed the rambunctious group of boys, lost in her thoughts. All of this seemed surreal. They were going home. Daniel was there. The Lost Boys had all decided to come along, agreeing that Neverland had lost most of its appeal when Peter Pan had left.

Feeling a tug on her hand, Regina looked down and smiled when Tootles looked up at her. “What’s it like where you live?”

“Well,” Regina thought how best to explain the world to a child who’d only been out of Neverland once in the last several decades. “It’s quite different from Neverland; from my old world as well. There’s no magic there, but they have all kinds of things that make up for it. I’ll show you everything when we get there.”

“You’ll love it!” Annie said brightly, stepping up next to Regina. “And you and Henry are going to get along really well!”

“You think so?” Tootles asked hopefully, though he was looking at Regina.

“Oh, yes,” Regina told him. “Henry’s going to love you. He’s always wanted a brother.”

“Really?” Tootles watched his feet as he walked along, trying to imagine what this new world was going to be like and how Henry would be as a brother.

Regina looked to Annie. “You’re sure this way of going home will work?” she asked her. They hadn’t had much time to discuss their return plans. Annie had been eager to leave and had assured both her and Daniel that her idea would work. She’d gone to the fairies for help while out with the Lost Boys and they had apparently agreed whole-heartedly. They’d even sent her back to the tree house with ‘proper Neverland attire’, as they’d put it.

She was now wearing a soft, lilac-colored cotton dress that came down most of the way to the ground but trailed off in a diagonal cut. It was covered in actual flowers that trailed beautifully over and around it, making up most of the one-shoulder strap. Regina was wearing a matching dress in a sky blue. The fairies had also insisted on decorating their hair with flowers. It was all braided up and pinned back with flowers and ribbons of small vine woven in. Even Daniel had smiled at the end result. Regina looked exactly as she had back when they’d planned to marry. Young, vibrant and happy. The lighter colors helped bring that out.

Daniel, for his part, was wearing the same tan pants as before, but the fairies had given him a soft green tunic to wear along with them.

After they’d all changed, the Lost Boys had loosened up considerably, which is why they were all now headed back toward the shore.

Annie had explained that trying to take them all through at once would be impossible, but if Hook would allow it, the fairies could help sprinkle his ship with enough fairy dust for them to fly home the old-fashioned way – old-fashioned for Neverland, at least. The boys had been violently against the idea at first. Working with pirates? It was out of the question! But with the fairies help, they’d been convinced that it was the only way.

“You look much better,” Regina observed, smiling at Annie.

“I _feel_ much better,” Annie smiled back. She linked her arm with Regina’s and rested her head on her shoulder. “Thank you.”

“You just needed rest. I didn’t do anything.”

“Not that. I meant for doing what you did. Going to the world of the damned,” she said quietly.

In answer Regina unlinked her arm from Annie’s and wrapped it around Annie’s waist instead, pulling her tightly into her side. Annie put her arm around Regina’s waist as well and smiled.

Daniel watched from a few steps behind, marveling at how completely different Regina seemed. The light blue she wore brought back vivid memories of when they’d been younger, happier, full of innocence and hope. Her actions were different as well. It seemed he’d missed something crucial during the time the curse had been broken; some fundamental change in her. The Regina he saw now with an arm wrapped around Annie and holding Tootle’s hand was not the same from a few months ago. She’d been different with everyone since he’d been able to see her again and he wondered what had occurred. He would have to give her a chance to explain everything; he wanted to. He wanted to be able to be happy with her. To kiss her, hold her. He wanted all of that as badly as she did. He just didn’t want to be with someone who used dark magic to get what she wanted; even at the expense of others; _especially_ at the expense of others. He watched the trio for a little while longer before making up his mind. Increasing his pace, he caught up to them easily. “Mind if I join you?” He asked Tootles as he stepped up next to him. In answer, Tootles simply stuck out his other hand, smiling up at him. Daniel smiled in return and for the first time, he didn’t let that smile fall when Regina looked over at him. Hesitantly, she gave him a very small smile that brightened significantly when his still didn’t fade. It was a start.

They reached the shore to find Hook and a few of his crew waiting for them with a couple of boats, ready to take them to the ship.

“Well, would you look at that?” he asked, taking in the sight of the odd group. “The fairies tell me you’ve come to ask for a ride back to your world?”

Regina stepped forward. “Am I to take your waiting here like this as a yes?”

Hook noticed the dramatic change in appearance. Fairy clothing had a way of making anyone look beautiful, but on Regina, it was quite a change. He didn’t think he’d ever seen her look so…soft. He bowed slightly, grinning at her. “Yes, Your Majesty.”

She shook her head, letting out a small laugh, but felt something press against the back of her legs. She looked down to find Tootles, moved partially behind her, peeking his head out to watch Hook. The rest of the children remained behind Daniel and Annie, staying back cautiously. They’d been forbidden to bring weapons of any sort, and without them, they felt vulnerable. Not nearly as confident as the proud warrior Lost Boys they proclaimed themselves to be.

Regina placed a hand on Tootles’ head, running it through his hair comfortingly. “It’s alright, boys,” she said, speaking to all of them. “No one’s going to hurt you.”

Hook looked around at each of the boys, taking in their scared expressions. “So it’s true? The Evil Queen is taking the Lost Boys with her?” The warm smile he wore kept the nickname he used from being offensive. The truth was he’d grown rather fond of the Lost Boys. He’d been there for a few hundred years after all. He just had too much fun playing with them as the evil Captain Hook to change how they interacted. He was happy that they were all going to a place where they could be happy. “She’s right,” he added, nodding at Regina. “No one will hurt you. We’ve already promised the fairies the same. You trust _them_ , don’t you?”

Hesitantly, all the boys began to nod. Nibs, regaining some of his confidence, stepped forward. “Let’s get on with it, Hook.”

Smiling with amusement, Hook stepped aside, gesturing to the boats with his hooked hand. “Your ship awaits.”

Daniel accompanied the older boys and Annie in one boat, while Regina helped the younger boys into the boat Hook headed. When she was seated herself, and they’d pushed off, Hook watched as the boys all sat around Regina and little Tootles crawled into her lap, hiding his head and wrapping his arms around her.

“What magical pill did the fairies give you?” Hook asked Regina as she smiled up at him, rubbing her hand in circles on Tootles’ back.

“What do you mean?”

“You know what I mean,” he told her, gesturing at the sight in front of him. “Your outfit, your hair, the way you’ve regained the love of the Lost Boys.” He laughed. “You’re a new person.”

Regina inhaled deeply, taking in the salty sea air and the flowery scent of Neverland. “Not a new person, Hook. An old one.” She sighed happily. “Though there does seem to be something magical about this place, doesn’t there?”

Hook chuckled. “It suits you.”

“I think so, too,” Regina said. And it was true, she was feeling happier than she’d felt in a long while. More like her old self. She only hoped this feeling would last and not disappear when they got back home.

It was odd for everyone involved when the Lost Boys were all standing on Hook’s ship. The pirates stood there, not sure what they were supposed to do while the Lost Boys all shifted awkwardly on their feet. They were saved when the fairies appeared.

Tink made her way straight to Regina, who had Tootles in her arms again. It had been so long since Tink had appeared to her, she’d almost forgotten what the beautiful fairy looked like. She hovered lightly in the air so that she was eye-level with Regina. Looking her up and down, she nodded her approval. “Much better,” she said happily. “The fairies had almost lost faith in you, but I knew you could be redeemed.” Not giving Regina a chance to answer, she continued. “It’s time. We’re going to sprinkle the ship and all of you with fairy dust. It will be up to you all to do the rest. You must all think happy thoughts.”

Regina smiled at Tootles when she said, “That shouldn’t be hard.” Tootles laughed and laid his head on her shoulder.

“Very well.” Tink grinned. “Make sure to come back and visit.”

“We will,” Regina promised.

A moment later, there was a shimmer to the air as fairydust covered everything around them. Regina laughed and looked at Annie. The fairy dust coated her skin in sparkles and she practically glowed with happiness, laughing as well. _Everyone_ was laughing. The pirates looked quite a sight with the glitter coating their dirty skin.

No one noticed at first that the ship had risen into the air. Then, a pirate down at the end of the ship shouted, “Oy! We’re flyin’!”

Pirates and Lost Boys mixed as they all rushed to different sides of the ship, cheering and shouting as they saw the island of Neverland growing smaller behind and beneath them.  Regina, with Tootles, joined Annie and Daniel where they stood looking down over the ocean.

Annie grinned, looking between the two of them. “We’re going home,” she said to Regina, before turning to look at Daniel. “All of us.”

* * *

Emma fought the urge to run as the heavy silence stretched on. Her words played on repeat in her head. _‘I have a son. He’s uhh...he’s yours.’_ How else were you supposed to tell someone they were the father of your child? Emma imagined there had to be a better way, but she hadn’t been able to think of one. Instead, the truth had just sort of tumbled out by accident.

Neal was staring at her in disbelief. Finally, after what felt like forever, he asked, “Why didn’t you ever tell me?”

“I decided to give him up for adoption.” It didn’t really answer his question, but she didn’t care.

“So, you…” he struggled to wrap his head around all of it. “You uh, you haven’t seen him? I mean, you’ve never met him?”

Emma was silent. This was the part where she could tell him about Henry and how he’d come to find her. That he was the reason she was in Storybrooke now. This was her opportunity, but she couldn’t open her mouth. It didn’t seem to matter, however.

“It’s the little boy from this morning isn’t it?” he asked, somehow putting things together. “He’s your…our…son? Henry?”

Her eyes widened in panic, not believing that he’d figured it out so quickly. “Yeah.”

They both jumped when the door to the diner was thrown open and an excited Henry bounded in, David not far behind. Emma’s heart nearly stopped in fear, but she needn’t have worried. Henry had come with news. “Emma, Emma! Come quick! There’s a _pirate_ ship coming to Storybrooke. It’s almost here!” He came over to her, pulling her to her feet. “Come on, _come on!_ ” he shouted impatiently, tugging her toward the door. She looked at David only to see him nodding in a sort of daze.

“It’s true,” he said. “You can see it, plain as day.”

And so, Emma allowed herself to be pulled out of the diner with most of the patrons and Neal following behind her, all curious to see what Henry was going on about.

When they reached the docks, there were already people on the gigantic ship working to secure it. Mary Margaret and a small group of townspeople had gathered to watch the strange commotion. At this range, Emma could see why it was being called a pirate ship. It certainly looked like a pirate ship and the men on board definitely looked like pirates. It didn’t take long for them to extend a board that they began using to walk down to the docks. Everyone moved closer as a group of children began making their way down followed by a girl everyone recognized to be Annie.

“Annie!” Henry exclaimed happily, starting to run toward her, and she looked up and waved.

The crowd of bystanders grew noisy as everyone moved to stand at the base of the ship and talked to each other about what was going on. How what appeared to be a pirate ship had found its way to Storybrooke, and with Annie aboard. It went silent a moment later when a smiling Regina appeared over the edge of the ship, making her way down to them with a small boy in her arms.

Dressed in a flower covered dress with hair up in braids and covered in what appeared to be glitter, smiling widely, it took a moment for anyone to recognize their usually dark-clad, mean-spirited mayor. Of course, it was Henry who recognized her first. “Mom?!”

She stepped onto the dock and set the child down. “Henry!” she cried happily as he launched himself into her arms.

“Mom! I’m so happy you’re back! I was so worried!”

Regina finally pulled back and looked behind her. “Tootles?” she said to the small boy who was standing timidly behind her. “Come on, sweetheart, it’s alright.” She crouched down as the boy approached cautiously and put her arm on his back. “Henry,” she said, looking up at her son. “This is Tootles. He’s going to live with us. Tootles, this is my son, Henry.”

Henry looked back and forth between the two of them. “Tootles, like one of the Lost Boys? From Peter Pan?”

Regina nodded, while Tootles looked confused at how Henry knew about him and Peter Pan.

“Wow!” Henry grinned. “Is he going to be my brother?” he asked hopefully.

“Yes.”

The word had barely escaped Regina’s mouth before Henry had jumped up, shouting “Yes!” He reached a hand out, grabbing Tootles’ and shaking it. “I’m Henry, I’m going to be your brother. I’m gonna teach you everything about this world.”

Seeing the two boys smiling at each other, Regina stood up, patting both of their shoulders.

She stood up into chaos, as everything seemed to happen at once. Nibs had caught sight of Neal in the crowd. “Peter?” he asked in awe. All of the other boys ran over to see if this was truly their lost leader. “Peter? Peter is that really you?” they all asked in wonder, gathering around him.

“No!” Emma said. “No! No, no, no, no, no,” she started reaching for something, anything, to grip onto. She was lowering herself slowly to the ground, not able to hold herself on her feet any longer.

Neal was staring at Regina, not believing his eyes.

Meanwhile, Daniel had stepped down onto the dock, and Mary Margaret had made her way over to him slowly in a daze, oblivious to everything that was going on around her. “Daniel?” she asked. Her voice and face were both filled with confusion. She looked at Regina, who was now watching her with a sort of horror, realizing what was happening; Snow was remembering.

“Daniel?” Mary Margaret asked again, seeming surer this time. “I thought…you…” She looked back at Regina. “He was dead.”

“Snow White.” Daniel smiled warmly. “You’ve grown quite a bit!”

Not believing her eyes, she threw her arms around Daniel, laughing through happy tears. “You’re alive! I can’t believe it! You’re actually alive!”


	37. Chapter 37

The situation was utter chaos. The Lost Boys had completely surrounded Neal, who was looking around at them all in shock, unable to believe his eyes.

Regina couldn’t decide who to look at; Peter and the Lost Boys or Snow and Daniel. She didn’t understand Snow’s reaction or how the curse had been broken for her. Daniel looked at her over Snow’s shoulder, a question formed by his expression. Regina shrugged at him.

The man who was apparently Peter pushed his way through the crowd of confused bystanders, looking at Regina as he made his way toward her. “Regina?” He stopped in front of her, staring at her.

Seeing him closer like this, Regina could see the similarities to his younger self – traces of the boy she’d known all of those years ago. “Peter,” she breathed. “You’re not a child, anymore.”

“No,” he said harshly. “I decided it was time I grow up – stop _pretending_ to be an adult and actually be one.” He softened a bit. “You look exactly like I remember you from before.”

“I’m not the same person I was,” she told him gently.

“She’s not. Peter, she’s good again.” They both looked down at the small voice to find Tootles staring up at him from Regina’s side.

“Tootles!” Peter smiled and reached out to pick him up.

“You grew up, Peter,” Tootles said, studying his face once he was in his arms. “You’re like Regina now.”

Neal looked at Regina, but she was watching Tootles. “I am, aren’t I?” He ruffled the boy’s hair. “How’ve you been Tootles?”

Tootles looked down.

“Tootles? You okay?” Neal asked.

“I was really sad. Regina left us and then you left us, too.”

Regina brushed a hand down his arm and he smiled, looking back at Neal. “It’s better now, though. I have a real mommy.”

“You do? Who?”

“Regina!” Tootles told him and reached his arms out to Regina, leaning toward her.

She pulled him out of Neal’s arms and he wrapped his arms around her neck.

Neal watched in shock. “You’re going to raise Tootles?” Neal asked her incredulously. “Are you sure that’s a good idea?”

Regina was about to answer when Henry stepped up next to her. “She’s a really good mom!” He told Neal.

Regina smiled down at him and rested her other arm around his shoulders.

“You mean…” Neal looked at her, truly in shock. “ _You’re_ Henry’s adoptive mother?” Neal suddenly looked angry again.

“Yes.” Regina narrowed her eyes. “How did you know he’s adopted?” She looked around for Emma, knowing she must be the source of this information. She was surprised, however, when her eyes found Emma on the ground, staring at them in horror, pale as a ghost. “Ms. Swan, are you alright?”

Neal turned to see Emma, and there was concern in his eyes, but when he spoke, he said, “How could you let _her_ raise him?”

Emma stood shakily, but quickly. “Neal, don’t!”

“Of all the people in the world you could have let adopt him, you chose her?”

“Neal! I said DON’T! Not now! Not _here_!” She was angry, but there was desperation in her eyes.

Henry didn’t understand what was going on, but Regina had started to put the pieces together. She looked up at Neal in shock, holding Henry a little tighter. Looking back at Emma, she saw that Emma was looking at her now as well. Regina raised an eyebrow, but gave a quick nod, signifying that she wouldn’t say anything further on the subject. For now.

Mary Margaret, who’d finally pulled herself away from Daniel had noticed the scene. “Emma?” she asked, rushing over upon seeing her daughter’s pale face. She put a hand to her cheek and asked “Are you alright?”

Emma tore her eyes away from Regina and Neal to look at Mary Margaret. She pulled away from the contact sharply, seeing a look in her eyes that was distinctly Snow’s; the look of a concerned mother. “You remember?” she asked, and there was a hint of fear in her voice.

Snow stopped for a minute. She’d been so distracted by seeing Daniel that she hadn’t even noticed that the curse had been lifted again. Looking around, though, she realized it had only been lifted from her. “I do,” she said in almost a whisper. Then, more loudly, she asked, “How?” She was now looking directly at Regina.

Regina only stared at her, not having any answers.

“Is it because of my dreams? Because of how strong they were?”

“What are you talking about?” Regina asked, unable to keep all of the irritation out of her voice. Out of all the people to remember, of course it would have to be Snow!

Snow looked around at everyone. Pirates were mixing in with confused Storybrooke residents and the Lost Boys were running around on the docks. “Can we talk somewhere else?” she asked.

“Fine,” Regina agreed. “We can talk at my house after I’ve had a chance to get everyone settled. Would that be agreeable?”

Snow nodded. They both looked over when they heard Neal’s angry tone.

“I don’t care, Emma! Now is the only time I’ll accept. Either we talk about it privately or I’ll start asking questions right here – it’s your choice.”

Snow looked angry at how this stranger was speaking to her daughter, but Emma nodded. “Fine! Let’s go talk.” She gestured violently for him to lead the way and followed behind him, clenching her fists.

“Who is that?” Snow asked. She was surprised when Regina actually answered her.

“Peter Pan.”

“What?” Snow looked more closely at the retreating man. “Emma knows Peter Pan?”

“Oh – I believe they know each other _quite_ well,” Regina commented dryly.

Snow looked at her questioningly but received no answer this time.

“Can we go home now, mom?” Henry asked, coming up behind them.

Nodding at Henry, Regina looked at Tootles and tickled his stomach. “Are you ready to go home?” she asked.

He giggled and squirmed. “Yes!”

Regina put her free arm around Henry and pulled him to her side tightly. “I missed you,” she said sincerely.

“I missed you, too. I was really worried. Is Annie okay now?”

“Yes.” Regina smiled over to where she and Daniel were talking ten feet away.

“Where’d you go? Who’s the man you brought back?” Henry watched them as well.

“That’s a long story, Henry, but it’s Daniel.”

Henry’s eyes widened and he looked back over at the man again. “Annie’s brother? Your fiancé?”

“Annie…” Snow breathed. “Annie?” She called. The girl looked up at her and stared for a minute before coming over. She smiled as Snow placed her hands on the girl’s face. “That really is you, isn’t it?” She asked through fresh tears.

“Hey, Snow,” Annie said softly.

Snow let out something between a sob and a laugh, pulling Annie tightly to her. “I can’t believe it! I can’t believe it.” And she couldn’t. First Daniel, and now Annie. Snow didn’t understand how any of this was possible, but she wasn’t going to question it right now. Her childhood friend was here, along with her brother – the man who’d changed the whole course of Snow’s life.

Regina looked at Daniel. “We should round up the Lost Boys. I’m thinking I might be able to talk Granny into taking them at the inn for the night until I can start arranging a more permanent place for all of them.”

Daniel nodded.

It didn’t take long. It seemed the initial excitement of their arrival had begun to wear off and, somewhat anxious about being in a new world, they’d started to migrate back toward them anyway.

As they started the short walk to Granny’s, Snow hung back a bit, watching Regina. It was strange to see her walking barefoot and in that outfit, but she was glowing with happiness and it made Snow ache. She wasn’t seeing the Evil Queen, or even Mayor Mills. She was seeing the young Regina; the one that had once looked at her with love and happiness. Regina still had Tootles on her hip and Henry tucked into her side. Annie was next to her, smiling, laughing, and talking. The Lost Boys were dancing around her, too, asking all sorts of questions.

The scene should have been a happy one, but it just made Snow feel empty. She started when she felt a hand on her arm and was surprised when she looked up to see Daniel giving her a small smile.

“I know that look,” he said sadly. He glanced ahead at Regina. “But I’m starting to realize she’s not as lost as I thought she was.” He turned his eyes back to Snow and he laid his hand on her shoulder gently. “She may come back to us yet.”


	38. Chapter 38

It took a while to get the boys all settled into rooms. Granny had finally agreed when Regina had suggested the nuns could help out with the children. Each nun was now temporarily charged with one of the Lost Boys and Granny had been appropriately compensated.

Snow allowed the group to come with her to Regina’s so they wouldn’t have to walk. She asked a very confused David to meet her later at Granny’s for dinner.

The car ride was an interesting one. Daniel and Tootles both weren’t sure what to make of it. Tootles mostly had fun while Daniel clung to the edge of his seat.

When they arrived at the house, Henry let them all in with his key.

Tootles was staring around the house in wonder. He’d been practically glued to the windows in the car, watching everything they passed with interest. He couldn’t remember ever being in a house before and he was in awe over everything new that he was seeing.

“Henry, could you show Daniel the bathroom upstairs so he can freshen up?” Regina asked. “I’ll take Tootles to use mine.” She turned to Snow. “I suppose you can make yourself comfortable in the living room.”

Without waiting for a response, she took Tootles’ hand and guided him upstairs.

Snow stood awkwardly in the hall for a moment, shifting her weight between feet nervously until Henry smiled at her. “I’ll come down when I’m done and we can hang out. I wanna hear about the curse and you being Snow and stuff, now that you remember…if that’s okay.”

“Yes, I’d like that.” Snow ruffled his hair affectionately. “I’ll wait for you in the living room.”

Henry turned toward the stairs. “Come on, Daniel,” he called. “Follow me.” He stopped a few steps up and turned back around, face scrunched, thinking how he wanted to word what he wanted to say. “Hey, Ms. Blanchard? – I mean Snow?”

Snow looked at him expectantly.

“When you talk to my mom, don’t be too mean, okay? She’s still my mom, and she’s really been trying to change.”

She gave him a sad smile. “I’ll do my best, Henry.”

Knowing that was as good as it was going to get, Henry trudged up the stairs, Daniel following closely behind.

Regina stepped out to have Henry grab a few of the clothes he’d started to grow out of; drawstring pajama pants and a t-shirt. They were still going to be too large, but it would have to do for the time being.

When he was finished, Henry led Daniel to the bathroom door. “Here you go.”

Daniel stood there looking slightly perplexed. “Umm…”

“Right!” Henry smacked his forehead. “You’re from the Enchanted Forest. You wouldn’t know how to use any of this stuff.” So he gave Daniel a crash course in modern plumbing. When he was finished, he pulled a fresh towel out of a cabinet. “Here,” he said, turning to go.

“Henry—”

Henry stopped and turned. “Yeah?”

Daniel took a step closer. “I just wanted to say thank you. Not just for showing me this,” he gestured around the bathroom. “For helping Regina.”

Henry frowned. “I didn’t do anything.”

“Oh, but you did. Regina…” Daniel trailed off, not sure how much Henry knew about her past. “Regina had a difficult life. It turned her down a dark path. I was worried for a long time that she’d be that way forever, that she’d—”

“You mean you _knew_ what she was doing?” Henry interrupted. “How?”

“I was sort of linked to her. I saw…well, I saw everything.” His eyes clouded over for a moment as he lost himself again in all of the memories of those terrible things. “But you, Henry,” he said, suddenly pulling himself back. “You brought out the goodness in her again. You kept her human. Thank you.”

Henry watched him for a moment, not sure what to say. He smiled a little. “I still didn’t really do anything. She’s my mom. She’s a really good mom. She’s getting better with other people, too. She’s really trying.”

Daniel smiled at him. It was good to hear this coming from the young boy. They hadn’t always been on the greatest of terms as Daniel had witnessed – especially in the months leading up to the breaking of the curse. He hadn’t known what to expect. It was good to hear that he loved his mom and that she was trying to better herself.

Seeing that Henry was still watching him, Daniel asked, “Did you need something from me?”

“I was just wondering…” Henry fidgeted a bit. “Now that you’re back, are you and my mom gonna get married?”

Daniel wasn’t sure what to say. He supposed he should have expected this question. He hadn’t known if Regina had mentioned him or not, but if she had, this question had been inevitable.

“Uhh…Henry…Your mom and I. Well, we were very much in love when we were young, but a lot has changed now. We’re different people…”

“You mean, you don’t like the person my mom became and now you don’t want to marry her.”

This was one insightful kid, and he wasn’t shy either, Daniel thought. Daniel’s mouth moved, but he wasn’t able to form proper sentences.

“It’s okay,” Henry told him. “A lot of people didn’t like her after she was the Evil Queen. It’s just, now, she’s trying really hard to be someone people could like, and no one’s letting her. She still really, _really_ loves you, and I think it’d hurt her if you didn’t give her a chance.”

Daniel finally nodded. “I know, Henry. I’m going to listen to what she has to say. I won’t just give up on her.” What he didn’t say was that he still loved her, too. He’d never stopped. Even with all of the horrible things he’d witnessed, he’d loved her; maybe not who she had become, but _her_.

Henry smiled and left, closing the door behind him.

* * *

Regina was the last person downstairs, Tootles in her arms with the pajamas hanging off of him. Both of them were freshly showered, hair dried. The hair drying experience had been a delight for Tootles. Now, Regina – hair styled, makeup applied, wearing black slacks and a blouse – was looking more like the mayor everyone had known for the last twenty-eight years. Snow seemed to shrink back into the couch a bit and Henry glanced at her almost nervously, but then gave her a warm smile. She set Tootles down and he immediately found his way over to Daniel, tugging at his hand. “Did you see the magic water that comes out of the walls?” he asked.

Regina chuckled, shaking her head and turning back to Henry. Henry walked over and wrapped his arms around her, hugging her tightly. “Don’t ever do that again,” he said. “Annie was screaming and then David took me upstairs and then it was quiet. I thought something bad had happened, but when I came downstairs, you were both gone and Emma wouldn’t tell me where you went. She said another world, but she didn’t know which one. I was so afraid.”

Regina rested her head against the top of Henry’s, stroking one hand through his hair while the other rubbed his back. “I’m so sorry, Henry. I didn’t mean to scare you like that. We had to do something quickly and I didn’t have time to talk to you before we left.”

Henry pulled back from her slightly and gave her an intense stare. “You weren’t sure you were coming back.”

Everyone in the room turned to watch them.

She could lie. She could tell him of course she knew she was coming back, but Henry already knew the truth. She could see it on his face. He wouldn’t like hearing it aloud, but lying to him would only break some of the trust they’d finally built up.

“No,” Regina said quietly. “I wasn’t sure I was coming back.”

There was a tense silence for several seconds, and then Henry finally asked, “Why? Where did you go?”

Regina sighed. There wasn’t going to be a way out of this. She’d already used up all of her ‘not now’s, ‘it’s a long story’s, and ‘I promise I’ll tell you some other time’s. This time, he might have lost her forever and she could see on his face that he wasn’t going to let this one go.

“I went to the world of the damned,” Regina finally told him.

A look of confusion passed over his face. “What’s that?”

“A horrible, horrible place.” The quiet, shaky voice, however, belonged to Snow, not Regina, and everyone looked to see that she’d lost all the color in her face. “I thought that was only a made-up story used to frighten children?”

“No,” Regina said. “It’s quite real.”

“I still don’t understand,” Henry said. “What is it? What happens there?” The name made it obvious that it wasn’t a place anyone would _want_ to visit, but Snow’s reaction had him frightened.

Again, it was Snow who answered. “It’s a place where souls go when they’re not allowed to die; when they’re being punished. It’s forever. No one has ever escaped…except…” She looked at Regina. “Daniel was there?” she whispered.

Regina only nodded.

Snow looked to Daniel for more and he had to tear his eyes from Regina when he felt her gaze. “She came because I was the person causing Annie that pain,” he said. “I hadn’t even known I was doing it. Regina had to come to stop me.”

“I would’ve come anyway,” Regina said quietly.

Everyone was silent.

Annie finally cleared her throat. There were a lot of raw emotions and she knew that right now wasn’t the best time to deal with all of them. “We should probably let you and Snow talk,” she said to Regina.

Daniel was the first to nod his agreement. “How about we all go upstairs?”

Knowing Daniel and Annie would want to spend some more time catching up, Regina said, “Hey, Henry, why don’t you show Tootles your action figures upstairs? Just make sure he doesn’t do anything dangerous with them.”

“Yeah, sure.” Henry smiled. “Come on, Tootles. I have some really cool toys I can show you.” He reached his hand out and the little boy grabbed it excitedly.

“Careful on the stairs,” Regina told them. “I don’t want him tripping on those long pajamas and hurting himself.”

“We’ll be careful,” Henry told her as they began taking one stair at a time.

Annie came over and took her turn wrapping Regina in a hug. “Thank you,” she whispered. She kissed her cheek as she pulled back and Regina put a hand up to it, smiling as she reached for Annie’s hand and gave it a squeeze.

“I love you.”

“Love you, too,” Annie said, and then joined Daniel.

He smiled, looping his arm through hers as they started slowly up the stairs behind Henry and Tootles. Daniel looked back over his shoulder and made eye contact with Regina. He allowed a small smile and felt a pang of guilt when she looked shocked. After just a split second, however, she returned the smile.

Then they were gone. Regina continued to stare at the space they’d last occupied, stalling what she knew would be an unpleasant conversation. Snow was the last person she wanted to talk to right now. However, she _was_ extremely curious as to how Snow remembered everything.

Finally, Snow cleared her throat uncomfortably and Regina couldn’t put it off any longer. She turned slowly to face Snow.

“Umm…” Snow started after another tense moment of silence. “Would you like to sit?”

Regina felt fresh anger surge up. Snow was offering her a seat in her own home? It was bad enough that she was here. But Regina pushed down the sarcastic reply that popped up. Not that she wanted to spare Snow, she simply knew that it would only start a very large argument, and this early on, she didn’t have the strength for it. There was much ahead. Instead, she ignored the invitation and dove straight into the questions she had. “Why is it you believe you suddenly remember everything?”

Snow considered the question for a minute. “It’s not anything I know for sure. I have no idea if it’s the cause, it’s just – those dreams.” She looked far-off with a troubled expression.

“Yes, yes,” Regina snapped. “You said that before. What dreams?”

Snow tried to cover her flinch, not wanting to show any weakness. “After I’d eaten the apple – you know, dreams formed of my own regrets.”

Regina stared at her, aggravation clear on her features. “What does that have to do with you waking up from the curse?”

Snow furrowed her brow. “You…you really don’t know, do you?”

The sudden hurt that flooded her features caught Regina off guard. She schooled her features into an indifferent expression. “What?”

“My dreams…they were all about Daniel. And you.” The whispered words were barely heard as Snow had turned her head down to stare at the ground. She could still feel Regina’s eyes burning into her. “I had just enough time after you told me what had really happened to Daniel to realize how that had changed the course of my entire life.” She shook her head, barely believing the next words herself. “James wasn’t the last person I thought of when I took that bite. I thought it would have been, but it wasn’t.” She kept her head down to hide the tears that had started. “I was already thinking about that night. You and Daniel, the promise I’d made to you.”

“The promise you broke!” Regina said harshly, her voice cracking as it had that day.

“I know,” Snow cried. “And I’m sorry. That moment played over so many times in my head while I was under the sleeping curse. I saw that night, the moment Cora pulled the secret from me, all the glimpses of hatred you’d given me growing up that I’d never even noticed. That’s all I kept seeing. I felt like I was in there forever.”

“That’s how it’s supposed to work,” Regina said viciously. She did her best to hide her surprise at Snow’s words. She hadn’t thought that she and Daniel would be the largest regret that Snow had.

Snow took a shaky breath, remembering what James had told her before the curse was recast. This was her chance to talk to Regina; to tell her everything she’d never had the chance to before. She closed her eyes, recalling the words from her past. “You know, I talked to the King about your mother. He told me how much she loved you. Losing her must have been so hard.”

“What—” Regina started to ask, confused by Snow’s words, but Snow continued as if Regina hadn’t spoken.

“Hearing him, I realized he might as well have been talking about me and Regina. I don’t want us to lose each other. If only I could show her how I feel; that no matter what, all I want is her happiness.” She opened her eyes and looked up to see Regina’s confused face. “That’s what your mother said to me. She played on the loss of my mother. I _never_ wanted that same fate for you.” Taking advantage of Regina’s shocked silence, Snow rushed forward, not knowing if she’d ever get the chance to say these things again. “I already loved you _so much_ ,” Snow told her, agony plain in her voice. “I didn’t want you to lose your mother like I had mine. I was a child. I didn’t understand that she was manipulating me.”

“I _warned_ you,” Regina whispered, but it lacked the harsh edge it had before. Now there was only pain. “I told you that she could never know.”

“I know, and I’m sorry,” Snow started to cry, looking at Regina the same way she had when she’d been locked in the jail cell. “Regina, I’m so sorry.”

The strange urge to reach out and brush her hand across Snow’s cheek as she’d done before washed over Regina, but this time, she stayed where she stood and kept her hands at her sides. She wanted to run. The things Snow was telling her were starting to break down that wall of hatred, and it scared her. It’s what she’d built her life on for the last four decades. She almost didn’t remember what life had been like before she’d had that driving need for revenge. She didn’t want to hear anymore, but she, too, was remembering James’ plea that she and Snow talk, at least once. Honestly.

“Did you ever love me?”

Regina lifted her head to look at Snow, making sure she’d heard the quiet words correctly.

“Even a little?”

Regina stood silent for a long while and Snow looked back down, nodding her head in defeat. It had been too much to hope for.

“Yes,” Regina finally answered.

Snow looked up at her in surprise.

Regina let out a long breath of air and made her way over to where Snow was sitting. Careful to leave plenty of space between them, she sat down next to her. She watched her fingers play with her ring for a few moments before looking up to meet Snow’s curious eyes. “I…I didn’t want to marry your father. I tried to run away several times, but my mother always managed to stop me. Finally, I gave up and went to Rumpelstiltskin for help.” She sighed deeply. “That’s when I started to learn magic. You have to understand; that kind of magic – _his_ kind of magic – is like a powerful drug. It’s dark, dangerous and extremely addictive; especially when your intentions aren’t always the purest.” It was strange to be telling Snow all of this after so long, but she suddenly felt that she needed to. “It may surprise you to know this, but I fought my hatred for a long time; a few years.”

Snow shook her head and smiled a sad smile. “It doesn’t surprise me.” When Regina looked stunned, she continued, “After the curse broke, I told James you were the kindest person I’d ever known. You had the ability to make anyone feel warm and loved. I miss her,” Snow whispered tearfully. “I miss my mother.”

Regina quickly wiped a tear that had started to fall, still uncomfortable showing any vulnerability. She tried to keep the shakiness out of her voice when she said, “I miss her, too.”

Snow bit her lip and moved a cautious hand to grasp one of Regina’s. Regina tensed at the contact, but didn’t pull away. “I think the reason I remembered,” Snow said, “is because Daniel being killed, hurting you, was the biggest regret I’ve ever had, and when I saw him – I don’t know. Something happened; something magic. I’m free now. I have a chance to be truly happy again. You can have that, too. Maybe…maybe you can be her _again_.”

Regina stared at their joined hands, but didn’t say anything.

“You’ve already started,” Snow told her. “With Henry, Annie, Tootles; even Grace.” Still seeing Regina’s doubt, she took a shaky breath. After all she’d told Regina so far, her next admission shouldn’t be that difficult, but it was. She found herself struggling to get the words out. “That night – the night I threatened to take Henry away…” Regina’s hand tensed again and Snow, too, turned her gaze to their hands, unable to watch Regina’s face as she told her. “He heard everything and he was upset. You sang him that lullaby; the same one you used to sing to me when I had nightmares as a child. You’d let me sleep in your room and you’d sing and stroke my hair until I fell asleep.”

“I remember,” Regina said quietly.

“That night, I pretended that I was back there with you singing to me.” Her voice cracked and she swallowed to regain control. She was surprised when she felt Regina’s thumb tracing soft, comforting circles on the back of her hand. Looking back to her face, she saw that Regina’s eyes were still on their hands. “The next morning is when I told James about everything that had happened, and he made me realize something that I’d tried to bury.” Regina finally looked up and met Snow’s eyes, waiting to hear what she had to say. Snow took a shaky breath, dizzy with fear over how Regina would react. She was sure Regina could feel her suddenly sweaty hand. “Even after everything that’s happened between us… I still…” She used her free hand to brush her own tears away. She’d never felt more exposed in her life. “I still love you.”

The wall was gone; Regina could feel it. When she looked at Snow now, she saw the little girl running away from her in the forest, tripping and falling in her distressed state. How she’d looked at her through confused tears when she’d pulled her up. How she’d explained the magic of love to her. She felt the love she’d buried underneath the hatred all of those years ago. It had grown so quickly for the girl who’d been missing her mother most of her life. Snow had made it easy; she’d attached herself to Regina quickly, searching for the mother/daughter bond she hadn’t had in years.

Regina felt anger build within her again, but this time for herself. She’d allowed her mother, Rumpelstiltskin, magic – so many evil things – to convince her that everything had been Snow’s fault. They’d blinded her to that love, something that had been so strong and could have protected her from the evil that had eventually consumed her. Her mother had been the one to blame for Daniel’s death, not Snow. Rumpelstiltskin and magic had created the empty hole inside her, not living with Snow in the castle. They’d all fed off of the pain that had been caused by Daniel’s death, and she had let them. She’d let them eat away at her until she was only a shell of her old self.

She was suddenly pulled from her thoughts when she felt Snow pulling her hand back. Seeing the look on Snow’s face, Regina realized the woman had been watching her, and with Regina not saying anything for such a long time, Snow had assumed the anger in her expression was directed at her.

Snow jumped when Regina suddenly tightened her grip on her hand. She instantly feared that she’d ruined her chance and said the wrong thing; Regina hated her. But then she noticed that Regina’s expression had changed. The anger wasn’t there anymore. It had been replaced by the softness she’d reserved only for Henry up until recently.

Hesitantly, and very slowly, Regina moved closer to Snow and pulled her in, wrapping her arms around her. Snow relaxed into her arms and returned the hug, letting out the breath she’d been holding. She rested her head on Regina’s shoulder and closed her eyes as she felt Regina’s hold tighten around her.

“I’m sorry,” Regina breathed into her ear. And then, as she’d done before darkness had twisted her love for Snow, she placed a gentle kiss to the top of her head.

The overwhelming warmth and love that suddenly swept through Regina nearly knocked her over. When Snow quickly sat up, Regina realized she hadn’t been the only one to feel it.

Snow was grinning.

“What was that?” Regina asked.

“True love’s kiss. Regina, you broke the curse.”

“I did?” Regina had never felt the way she felt now. She’d always known how powerful true love’s kiss was; she’d seen it work enough times. But to actually be a part of it, to feel it washing over you was more than she’d ever imagined. And she’d certainly never imagined that she would ever be a part of it.

“Yes.” Snow was watching her carefully again, but was relieved when Regina smiled – a real, true, smile. “James was right,” Snow said happily, tears starting to cloud her vision. “I thought it was too late, that you hated me and would never be able to forgive me.” She closed her eyes again as Regina placed a hand on the side of her face, rubbing her tears away with her thumb.

“I’m the one who needs forgiveness, not you,” Regina told her. “I should have realized that long ago.”

Snow heard the question in the statement and said, “I forgive you, Regina.”

Regina pulled her in for a second hug, just as they heard noisy footsteps on the stairs.

“What happened?” Henry asked. There was fear evident in his voice. The curse had been broken again, that much was clear, but at what cost? At various times, he’d overheard conversations between his mother and Rumpelstiltskin about how someone’s death could bring about the end of the curse.

Daniel and Annie had both been thinking along the same lines, cursing themselves for leaving the two enemies alone together.

It had taken a minute for them all to realize what had happened. The magical air had coursed through them, spreading across everything quickly, and they’d all sat in shock for a moment. Daniel and Annie had both rushed into the hallway to find Henry already standing there looking distressed, a confused Tootles standing in the doorway behind him.

“You don’t think…?” Henry had asked shakily. At which point, they’d all clambered to get to the living room.

Rounding the corner at the bottom of the stairs, however, they were shocked to find Snow and Regina hugging each other tightly, both crying, but smiling as well.

“What’s going on?” Daniel asked, almost not believing his eyes.

Snow finally pulled back and looked at him, laughing through her tears. “She came back to us.”

Regina smiled, looking at Snow for another moment before turning to look at Daniel. Both she and Snow stood. Snow crossed to the three of them and hugged each of them tightly in turn. Henry rushed toward Regina and flung his arms around her. “ _You_ broke the curse?” he asked, in wonder.

“I did.” It felt amazing. More wonderful than anything she could have imagined. A giant weight had lifted from her and she felt more like her young self than she had since those first few years living as King Leopold’s wife.

Henry stepped aside to allow Annie to hug Regina as well.

Everyone held their breath when Daniel stepped forward. Annie moved to the side, eyes darting between the two, unsure what would happen.

Then, silently, Daniel wrapped his arms around Regina. He hugged her close when she let out a surprised sob and moved her hands to cling to the back of his shirt.

Snow pressed her fingertips to her lips, holding in her own tears. Annie didn’t bother. She used her hands to wipe hers away. Henry just grinned.

Everyone jumped when a little voice asked. “What’s wrong?”

Regina opened her eyes to see Tootles standing in the doorway, looking around at all of them with a scared expression. Although Henry was smiling, everyone else was crying and it frightened him.

“Oh, sweetheart,” Regina said soothingly, reluctantly letting go of Daniel as he pulled away from her. She went to him and leaned down in front of him. “Nothing’s wrong.”

“Then why is everyone crying?”

“Sometimes, people cry when they’re happy, too.”

“They do?” He looked skeptical.

“They do.”

Regina looked over at Daniel, who’d been the one to speak, and noticed for the first time that he had tears in his eyes as well.

“See?” Regina turned back to Tootles. “Everything’s fine.” She smiled warmly at him and tugged playfully at his elbow. “How about we all get something to eat? I’m starving.”

There were a few chuckles behind her and Tootles finally smiled, nodding his head in agreement.

“Alright.” She stood up straight and smiled when Tootles eagerly stuck his arms out for her to pick him up. She happily obliged and everyone followed as she made her way to the kitchen. “Let’s see what we can whip up.”


	39. Chapter 39

They were halfway through sandwiches when the doorbell rang. It was followed quickly by an incessant knocking. Regina looked toward the foyer with a wary expression. The curse had been broken again and last time, the visitors at her door shortly after had been far from friendly. It wasn't that she was afraid of them; she'd just been feeling so happy and she didn't want that mood to be broken.

Snow looked up at her in concern. Apparently, she was having similar thoughts, though she  _was_  slightly afraid. "Maybe..." she said hesitantly, "Maybe I should get it?"

Henry - also thinking back to that day - stood quickly, moving to stand next to Regina. "Don't let them hurt her." His voice had a pleading tone to it.

Regina wrapped an arm around Henry's waist and pulled him against her, placing a kiss to the side of his head. "I'll be alright," she told him. Snow gave her a look as if to ask,  _'Are you sure?'_ Regina simply nodded and stood up, moving toward the front of the house.

She hesitated for only a second with her hand on the doorknob before swiftly pulling it open. "David?" she asked in surprise, seeing the familiar face as the door swung open. He was standing there, rubbing his hands together impatiently, eyes immediately searching the house beyond where she stood. He wasn't the person she'd been expecting to see, but now that she thought about it, she wasn't at all surprised. The curse had been broken and he was once again waiting to be reunited with his family.

"Is Snow here?" he asked immediately. "Is she okay?"

"Come in," Regina told him, stepping aside. "She's here. She's fine."

As if on cue, Snow stepped into the entryway. "James!" she said happily, hurrying down the steps and throwing herself into his arms. 

He swung her around, kissing her passionately. Finally, he set her down and looked at her in confusion. "Down at the docks, when Regina came in with that stranger...you remembered, didn't you? Something triggered your memories?"

"Yes," Snow told him.

"What was it?"

Snow let out a long breath, but smiled. "That’s kind of a long story. Let's just say that everything worked out really well. In fact, things are better than they've been in a long, long time." She turned around to look at Regina and received a warm smile which she returned without hesitation before turning back to her husband.

James looked between the two of them, noticing for the first time the complete air of relaxation. There was no heavy tension as there would normally be in a room with these two together. He looked at them both with a questioning expression.

"We took your advice," Regina told him. "Turns out, you're a pretty wise prince." She chuckled and added playfully, "Who knew?"

Without saying anything, James stepped forward and wrapped his arms tightly around Regina, hugging her to him. She was taken completely by surprise, but then returned the hug, relaxing into it.

"Thank you," James told her sincerely.

Regina found her voice blocked by emotion. What could he possibly be thanking  _her_  for? She'd done nothing but make his life miserable for the last few decades and she didn't deserve this sudden expression of gratitude. It made her feel guilty.

As if sensing her silent inner turmoil, James continued to speak. "Even after we forgot who we were again, you made sure that we were together, that we were happy. You're becoming the person you wanted to be. So…thank you."

Finally, Regina swallowed the lump in her throat. The voice that came out was still slightly higher than usual, much quieter and cracked with unmistakable emotion. "Thank  _you._ " She pulled him tighter, bunching her hands in the fabric of his shirt. "I wouldn't be here without you. You gave me the only friend I've had in a very long time. I'd forgotten what it could feel like."

"Well, you haven't lost him," David told her firmly.

Regina felt on the verge of tears and, being exhausted from being so emotionally vulnerable, she chuckled and asked, "Do you have any idea how cliché you sound right now?"

She didn't see his grin, but she could feel him laughing against her. "I do, but I can't help it. I think being cliché was written into my character."

They finally pulled back from each other to see Snow standing there, slightly open-mouthed, looking between the two of them. "I knew that you two had a friendship going on with the curse, but I had no idea it was like  _this_."

"Neither did I," David said, smiling. "But I like it. You?" He turned his eyes to Regina who laughed and nodded.

 "I have to thank the curse for this one."

No longer able to contain his curiosity, Henry poked his head around the entrance. “What’s going on?”

He saw James almost immediately and grinned. “Grandpa!” He was welcomed into a hug and he laughed as James ruffled his hair.

“Where’s Emma?” he suddenly asked, looking back up to his wife.

“I’m not exactly sure,” Snow said hesitantly. “She was talking to a man I’ve never seen before – Peter Pan, I guess. It seemed pretty heated.”

James’ attention, however, was grabbed by Regina’s sudden cringe. “Who was she talking to?” he asked her.

“That is something that Emma should tell you herself.” Regina ignored the curious looks of James and Snow who were obviously waiting for her to tell them more and looked instead at Henry. If Peter really was who she thought he was, it could change everything. The fear of losing him returned full force and she reached out a hand to grasp his arm. She pulled him gently, but firmly to her and wrapped her arms around him, cradling his head against her.

“Mom, what’s wrong?” Henry asked, alarmed by the sudden motion. He wrapped his arms around her waist and leaned his head against her chest, allowing her to rock him slightly, side to side. “Mom?”

“Nothing, Henry,” she told him, though her voice betrayed her words. “I just missed you.”

He knew that she was lying, but he didn’t press it.

“I love you, Henry.”

“I love you, too.”

Snow and James also watched with some alarm. Something had caused this sudden reaction in Regina and they both had a sickening feeling that it had something to do with their daughter and the mysterious man she’d disappeared with.


	40. Chapter 40

Emma could hear Neal behind her, stomping his feet as they walked along. She knew that he was angry. He'd spent the first several minutes trying to talk to her and get her to say something back, but she'd refused. She wasn't going to say anything to him until she was absolutely sure that there was no one around to hear, which is how they'd ended up walking through the forest. Neal had finally given up on any hope of a conversation and was throwing a mini-temper tantrum about it in the form of making as much noise while walking as possible. She ignored it.

When she finally decided they'd gone far enough, she whirled on Neal so suddenly that he nearly ran into her. "When were you fucking going to tell me that you were Peter Pan? What the hell, Neal?"

"Hey," he said, not backing down, "How about when _you_ told me that I had a son or that you were letting the Evil Queen raise him?!"

"I had no idea who was raising him! Hell, I didn't know that there was even an Evil Queen! You're forgetting - I've been lied to my entire life!"

"Like I knew?!" Neal yelled. "My life's pretty fucked up if you hadn't noticed. Excuse me if I didn't do a background check on everyone around me to see if there was anyone else from the Enchanted Forest."

"You knew _Brian_ ," Emma said haughtily.

"Yeah, and we met by  _accident_. We stayed friends because we both had grown up in a world that wasn't our own. We understood each other."

"I didn't have that. I had  _myself_. I was  _supposed_  to grow up in another world, I was  _supposed_  to have a good life, a family, a home. I was supposed to have a goddamned castle!" Her head spun with all of the thoughts crashing together. She wasn't sure the whole situation would ever feel real. One thing was sure though. The only  _sure_ thing in her life - her own identity - had been taken from her. Her past had been a lie, her friends, her  _lovers_  had been lies. Even the world she'd been born into was a lie. What was she supposed to do with that? She hated feeling like she wasn't in control, but in this situation, there was nothing for her to take control of.

Seeing the look in Emma's eyes, Neal instantly backed down. He could see that she wasn't even seeing him anymore; her eyes had glassed over and he could see that she was falling apart on the inside. He tried for a moment to put himself in her place. A girl who'd never known about the existence of other worlds, of magic or of fairytales being real and then suddenly finding out that, not only was all of that true - she were a linchpin in it.

"Emma," he said gently, taking a cautious step toward her. She didn't seem to notice, so he took another step and then placed his hands on her arms. "Emma, I'm sorry. By the time I found out who you were, I didn't have very many options. The fate of another world was resting on what I did; what I let  _you_ do. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry." He marveled at how she'd somehow managed to make him completely forget why they'd come here to talk in the first place. He couldn't be angry with her now no matter how much he wanted to be.

She seemed to have forgotten that she was mad at him as well. She sat down on the forest floor and closed her eyes, trying to get her breathing under control. "We can tell him if that's what you really want," she finally said.

"What?" Her statement had caught him off guard.

"Henry. If you really want, we can tell him who you are."

Neal watched her carefully for any sign that she wasn't being one hundred percent sincere. He didn't find one. "Are you sure?"

She sighed heavily. "He'll be pissed at me, but it would be the right thing to do."

"I'm sure he wouldn't be that upset," Neal told her, trying to ease some of the tension.

"Yeah, well that might be the case under normal circumstances. If I hadn't told him you were dead," she said flatly.

He blinked at her in surprise. "You told him I was dead?" he asked once he'd found his voice again.

"Yeah, well, he really wanted to hear about his dad, and I didn't really want to tell him the truth. I met you while stealing a car, you left me in prison. You know...I didn't want to disillusion him, so I made something up instead; told him you were a heroic firefighter that died in the line of duty."

"Wow..." Neal rubbed the back of his neck, clenching his eyes shut. "You're right. That's going to be a bit of a bubble to burst."

"Which is why we're only going to do it if you're positive that this is what you want. You can't just tell him and then disappear forever. It's not that I want you around all the time, I just don't want him to find out he has a father only for you to leave him."

"You mean like I left you," Neal said, finishing the thought for her. "Emma, this is different. I did that for you - that's what I was told would be best for you. This is my son. I would never leave him. I would know better than anyone else the importance of having a parent be around for you."

Emma finally stood and began walking toward the town. "Yeah, I guess you would."

Neal followed behind her silently for a while before finally asking, "You mind if I ask you how Henry ended up with Regina?"

"Umm..." Emma shrugged her shoulders. "I'm not really sure, I guess. I gave him up for adoption and it was a closed adoption, so I didn't really know anything about the person on the other end." She frowned. "To tell you the truth, I'm curious myself as to how he ended up where he did. Surely Regina wouldn't have chosen a child that connected her so directly to the 'chosen one'." She used the title mockingly and Neal could hear the irritation in her voice. "Anyway," she went on, "I'm sure she wouldn't have done anything that would have made it easier for me to break the curse."

"Unless she adopted him so that it was another variable she could control," Neal said thoughtfully. "Maybe she thought that having him near her would ensure that he'd never find you and help you break the curse."

"Yeah, because that worked so well," Emma said sarcastically. Then more seriously, she said, "No. Regina had no idea. She adopted Henry because she wanted a child. She loves him. When he found me and brought me back here with him, she didn't even know who I was at first. She was really surprised when she found out - not in a good way." She breathed out a heavy sigh. "I bet Gold has something to do with this," she said darkly.

"Who?" Neal looked at her back in confusion as he continued following her down the trail.

"Rumpelstiltskin. This just seems like something he would have his hands in." She made a noise of disgust. "Which means I'm going to have to talk to him."

They walked in silence for a little while longer before Neal again broke it with a question. "Do you think he had a good childhood?"

Emma didn't have to ask who he meant. "Yeah. I think, despite who Regina is, she was a good mother. He really loves her, ya know? Sure, for a while there he wanted nothing to do with her, but that was because he'd figured out she was the Evil Queen. She gave him a home, provided for him, made sure he did well in school and most importantly, she loved him."

"Good." Neal returned his gaze to the ground beneath his feet. He jumped a little when Emma took her turn asking the question.

"Why did you have to be Peter fucking Pan?"

He chuckled a bit. "Sorry, that's just who I am."

"Well, there goes my favorite childhood story," Emma muttered.

Neal put a hand to his chest in mock flattery. "I was your favorite story? I'm honored."

She turned around and punched him playfully in the shoulder before continuing on her way. "Shut up."


	41. Chapter 41

Emma was walking through downtown, trying to figure out where she wanted to go. She needed to talk to Regina about the whole Neal situation. That was certainly not a conversation she was looking forward to. In the chaos of the afternoon, the curse had also been broken again, and she was curious as to how that had come about this time around. Then there were her parents. Should she go back to the loft? She didn't really want to, but she knew that they'd want to talk to her. Especially after what Mary Margaret had witnessed between her and Neal. She sighed heavily. The awkwardness between her and her roommate-turned-mother was something she feared would never fully dissipate.

And then there was August who she'd started to fall in love with. He'd been helping her with the transition into real-life fairytales and he'd been someone she could trust and confide in. She felt betrayed. Her confidante had turned into the person who'd created the need for one in the first place. She'd been able to forgive him before for having left her when they first came through. He'd only been a child then and she could hardly blame him for wanting to escape the cruel household they'd been placed in. This was different. He'd been a full-grown man knowingly toying with her life. It didn't matter that he thought it was for her own good, or the good of the people, or whatever. It mattered that he'd manipulated her situation with Neal, with Henry, and that he'd lied about it. All of these months, he could have told her what he'd done. Maybe they could have moved past it, eventually. Somewhere in the back of her mind, she admitted that there was very little possibility that she'd have worked through it no matter how early into their relationship he'd brought it up. Which is probably why he'd never bothered to do so. She wondered if he would ever have told her if she hadn't found out herself. 

While trying to decide which of these unpleasant situations she wanted to deal with first, she was nearly knocked over by the man in question. August reached out to steady her as her balance was thrown off by the sudden collision. She'd been so involved in her thoughts that she hadn't noticed him round the corner, and he'd been looking down at a paper he was holding.

"Whoa, there," he said smiling. "You okay?"

She wanted to be rational when she spoke to him; to sound like an adult and not some whiny teenager, but when she looked up at him, all of the feelings of anger and betrayal came rushing to the surface and she instead blurted out, "No!"

Noticing that the amount of anger Emma possessed hardly seemed attached to their situation, August knew immediately that something else was wrong. He looked at her in confusion, lifting an eyebrow. "No?"

"Neal's in town," she deadpanned. "You lied to me."

"Oh," was all August could say. He couldn't deny it; it was true. He had lied to her, but with good reason. He'd needed to ensure that she fulfilled her destiny, and he knew that with Neal, that would never happen.   
  
"You could have told me that Henry's father was Peter Pan!"  
  
"What?" August asked, shocked.   
  
"You didn't know?"   
  
"No. What do you mean he's Peter Pan? Emma, that's impossible. The only people from our world that escaped the curse were you and me."  
  
"And Brian," Emma said.  
  
"Brian?"  
  
"Well, Bae. Rumpelstiltskin's son."

"Rumpelstiltskin's what?" August looked completely confused at this point.

"It doesn't matter!" Emma yelled with irritation. "The point is that you lied. The way my life turned out - me being alone, giving up Henry, spending my time hopping between cities - all of that was because of you. Because of what you took from me; _who_ you took from me."  
  
"Emma, I was trying to help you..." August tried to think of something to say, but before he had the chance, Emma interrupted him. 

"Help me? You think what you did was _helping_ me?"

"If I hadn't done what I did, you never would have fulfilled your destiny and everyone in this town would still be stuck under the curse," he tried desperately. "Is that what you would have wanted?"

Emma let go of him and turned away, shaking her hands as she fought the urge to scream. Why did this keep happening? Every time she thought she'd found some footing, it was pulled out from under her. What was she supposed to say to August? It's not like what he was saying wasn't making sense - it was- but that definitely didn't mean she liked it. Everything that had happened to her seemed to be because of this stupid curse. It had played more of a part in her life than she'd thought and she wondered what else had been caused because of it. She paused then, remembering something else Neal had said.

"What about the money?" she asked angrily, turning back to August. "Neal said he gave you money to give to me so that I would have something to get me by after I was released."

August's eyes turned downward, but he didn't say anything.

"What?" Emma asked. "Did you spend it? Blow it on a gamble or something? God, August, do you even know how much I could have used the cash? I was struggling. Maybe if I'd had the cash, I would have been able to keep Henry."

It was the tiniest of reactions, but Emma didn't miss the fleeting expression on August's face.

"Oh my god," Emma breathed, wanting to throw up. "You knew. You found out I was pregnant - that's why you didn't give me the money, isn't it? You  _wanted_  me to give Henry up for adoption." The pieces of the puzzle were suddenly flying together, no matter how much she wished they wouldn’t. "Oh my god," she said again, shaking her head. "You had a hand in making sure Henry ended up here, didn't you? So that I'd have a reason to come to town when it was time?"

August didn't say anything, but the way he was looking at her, she knew it was true. She felt sick. She walked around in small circles, clenching her fists and trying to gather any amount of rational thought she had left.

"I didn't spend the money," August said quietly. "I put it into an account for Henry. It's all still there."

She paused in her movement to look at him, but only momentarily.

"Please, Emma, you have to understand - I didn't know what else to do. The fate of this entire town - of our whole world - was resting on whether or not you would come back. I couldn't risk it. If I'd told you straight out about all of it - the truth - would you have believed me?"

Emma shook her head, not trusting herself to speak. She was close to exploding, and although August deserved everything she was thinking of saying, they were still in public and she was too angry to move them anywhere more private. She'd just about reached her quota of upsetting information for the day.

"I need to leave," she said suddenly. As angry as she was with August, she was still able to rationalize that she didn't want to say or do anything that would permanently damage their relationship. She couldn't see being able to forgive him anytime soon, but they needed somewhere to start, and as much as she didn't feel like it right now, she knew that August was on her side. He always had been. He actually was the only one who had been her entire life and she didn't think she could afford to lose that. No matter how much she hated him. If she wasn't so angry, she would probably smile at how ridiculous that sounded.

Without saying anything else, she walked away. She was grateful that, as always, August seemed to be able to tell what she needed and didn't try to follow her. Man she hated him. She was proud of herself for being able to walk away as calmly as she was. Maybe, she thought, after everything that had been hurled at her since she moved to this town, she was finally growing accustomed to dealing with it all. She wasn't sure how to feel about that.  _On to averting the next crisis_ , she thought.

Not in the mood to deal with her parents right away, she decided going to Regina's would be the next thing on her to-do list. She had a lot to discuss with the former mayor anyway. And by the look on Regina's face when she left this afternoon, she had a lot to discuss with Emma as well.

It didn't take long before she was standing on the front porch of 108 and she rang the doorbell.

Regina pulled the door wide open, silently inviting Emma inside when she saw who it was. There was no reason for formality; she was ready to get right into it. "I suppose we should discuss things privately?" Regina asked.

Emma nodded. "Yes, please."

She looked curiously into the living room as they passed the doorway, noticing the strange man sitting on the sofa as the one who'd arrived with Regina earlier. She wondered who he could be.

As if sensing that she was looking at him, the man looked up and gave her a small smile, which she returned.

Regina closed the door of the study behind them and turned to face Emma.

"What does he want?" Regina asked as soon as they were behind closed doors.

Emma didn't have to ask to know that she meant Neal. "He wants to meet him." She saw Regina suck in a breath of air and added, "and I told him that I'd discuss it with you. And with Henry, of course. I told him that if he decides to do this, he can't expect to be able to just walk away. He's not here to take him away, so don't worry about that. I told him that Henry was happy where he was. Obviously, he was reluctant about the idea of you raising Henry, but he knows now that you've taken good care of him and I think he accepts that and knows that I'm not willing to let those circumstances change."

"You're not?" Regina asked hesitantly. While Emma had not come to her to say that she'd be taking custody of Henry, she also hadn't said anything to make Regina believe that she wasn't eventually going to.

Emma sighed before sitting back against Regina's desk. "I didn't really know when to bring it up, but I suppose now is just as good a time as any." She took a deep breath. "I've thought about it a lot, and yes, Henry is my son." She quickly held up a hand when Regina opened her mouth angrily to argue. "But he is your son, too. I know that. I've always known that. But now I know that Henry knows that, too. And more importantly, I know now that he's safe. I still want to spend a lot of time with him, maybe have him spend the night with me here and there, because now that I'm a part of his life, I'm not giving that up. I want to always be involved. But I think, for Henry's sake, things should stay the way they've been for the most part. He grew up in this house with you and I don't see any reason why that should change." She looked down at her feet and shook her head, a wry smile on her face. "God this is hard to say." Looking back at Regina, she saw that the former mayor was not even bothering to hide her shock. "Henry is happy, Regina, and for me, that's all that matters. So - no matter what happens with Neal, I'm not going to let anyone take Henry away from you, and that includes my parents."

There was a heavy silence in the air after Emma finished, and both of them stood staring awkwardly at each other.

Regina cleared her throat. "Thank you."

It was quiet, but full of emotion, and Emma instantly knew that she'd made the right decision. Ready to change the subject now that she'd said what she needed to say, Emma abruptly changed direction. "You went to Neverland." she stated.

"I did."

Emma bit back a smile. "Who'd have guessed that the former Evil Queen would take a trip to Neverland and come back with all the Lost Boys on her heels? It seems children stick to you like glue."

Regina smiled. "Recently, yes - that certainly seems to be the case."

"I may have been slightly out of my mind at the time, but did I understand correctly that you planned on raising Tootles?"

Regina's face lit up with a warm smile. "I do." Her expression turned a bit more serious and she added, "I needed to ensure that he'd be well-cared for and I've always felt personally responsible for him. For all of the Lost Boys, really, but Tootles especially. He was too young to stay in Neverland."

Emma nodded, realizing there was a history between Regina and the Lost Boys that she didn't know about, but she knew she’d be prying if she asked. She sat up. "I suppose we should get back to everyone. They'll be wondering where we are." Regina nodded and Emma started to walk out, but she turned suddenly, stopping just before reaching the door. "You didn't tell them about Neal, did you?"

Regina saw the fear in her eyes and was quick to shake her head. "I thought it was best that I left that for you."

"Thank you," Emma said, and gave Regina a genuine smile. She took a deep breath and reached for the door knob. She still had a lot to face and she still wasn't sure how she was going to get through all of it, but she now knew that no matter what happened, at least Henry would be happy. Regina would be there to take care of him, and that was something that Emma planned to keep a permanent thing. Where before, it had been a burden on her, she now felt relief.

No matter what Neal or her parents might throw her way, she knew what she wanted, and Regina knew it, too.

Even with thoughts of Neal, her parents, and most heavily, August, weighing her down, Emma finally felt like she could sleep. She could deal with the rest of it in the morning.

"You know," she said, pausing again. "I'm actually relieved that you figured out who Neal was so quickly. The nice thing about you knowing all of my secrets is that I don't have to tell them to you or worry about you finding them out."

Regina smirked.

"You're different," Emma commented. "But you're also the only one who's been the same since the day I met you. I'm glad you didn't change after the curse broke. I think I would have gone insane if you hadn't been the reliably irritating, meddlesome, control freak that I've always known you to be."

Regina raised an eyebrow. "Just as you've always been the loud, naïve thorn in my side. You ruined my curse, you know."

Emma actually snorted. "I'm glad I know you, Regina Mills." She narrowed her eyes. "If you tell anyone I said that, I'll shoot you."

Regina smirked again and strode past her out the door. It was only after she was several steps in front of her that she said, "As if you'd ever have the chance."


	42. Chapter 42

The town had had a few days to settle down since the re-breaking of the curse. Regina stayed inside the entire time, settling Tootles and trying to reconnect with Daniel. It was slow-going, but they'd had a few nice talks. Daniel had settled into Annie's room while Annie shared with Regina temporarily. Tootles was set up in the second guest room. Things had actually been going pretty smoothly, all things considered. Snow, James and Emma would stop by from time to time to see how everything was going. Henry had remained with Regina. His permanent situation had not yet been discussed with Snow and James, but Emma and Regina knew that it would need to be done eventually. Regina only hoped that after her recent reconciliation with Snow, perhaps the transition would be much smoother.

It was on the third day that there was a knock on the door.

The household had been sitting around the table putting together a puzzle. Never in a million years had Regina imagined herself doing something so simple and with a family, but there she was and she was rather enjoying herself. It had been nice not to worry about the rest of the town for a few days. She could almost forget it existed. She frowned, looking up when she heard the knock, not appreciating the interruption.

Finally, she stood up, motioning for everyone else to keep working on the puzzle while she answered the door.

She wasn't exactly surprised to see that it was Jefferson, Grace in tow. She was, however, interested to see Maleficent standing behind them, still dressed in the casual clothes of this world. It seemed that she'd adapted quite quickly to the new styles and customs and she seemed comfortable with them. Not sure what to expect, Regina pulled the door open slowly.

Jefferson actually smiled. It was a small smile, but it was a smile nonetheless. It was the first time Regina had seen him since she went to the world of the damned. She wondered if Maleficent had told him about where she was going or why. He had to have wondered. She’d promised him a reunion with his daughter and then had run off to another world. She’d be surprised if he hadn’t drilled Maleficent for information.

“I wanted to come to thank you,” he said. “You kept your promise about the curse. I don’t think I expected that, especially after your disappearance. Where did you go?”

Well that answered that question. He had no idea what had been going on the last week.

She opened her mouth to answer, but Daniel chose that moment to enter the room. “Jefferson?” he asked.

 _Of course_ , Regina thought. Daniel would recognize his voice. They’d _all_ been close friends.

Jefferson’s reaction confirmed that Maleficent had told him nothing about what Regina had been up to. “Dan…Daniel?” he asked, looking as if he’d just seen a ghost. Really – he had. He looked back and forth between Regina and Daniel in disbelief. “How?”

Regina looked at Maleficent with a question in her eyes. She’d expected the older sorceress to say _something_ to Jefferson. Maleficent gave a slight shake of her head.

“I was never really dead,” Daniel offered up. He stepped forward, a smile growing on his face. “It’s good to see you again, Jefferson.”

Daniel knew just as well as Regina what Jefferson had done, but it was good to see his old friend again. He offered his hand and Jefferson shook it, still bewildered. “I don’t understand.”

“My curse sent him to the world of the damned,” Regina said darkly. Mentioning the terrible world was enough to make her shiver inwardly. It wasn’t easy to forget the feelings of dread, despair and constant panic that accompanied any journey there.

Jefferson looked at Regina incredulously. “That’s impossible. It would mean – but that’s impossible.”

“But it’s not. I’ve been there now, Jefferson. It’s worse than you could imagine.” Suddenly remembering Grace was still in the room and not wanting to frighten her, Regina abruptly shifted topics. “I see you and Grace have been reunited.”

Grace smiled up at her father and Jefferson returned it warmly. “Indeed, we have. I’ve spoken with Ariel and Eric and we’ve worked something out.”

“I’m glad,” Regina told him sincerely.

He looked at her and nodded. “Thank you.”

Grace stepped forward, wrapping her arms around Regina. “Thank you for breaking the curse, Your Majesty,” she said happily.

“You’re welcome, but Grace, sweetheart, call me Regina.” She ran a hand through Grace’s hair, thinking about Alice. If things had come out differently, Regina would have been involved in a large part of Grace’s life. They had been like a family. She looked up at Jefferson as Grace remained in her embrace, giving him a gentle look. So much had happened in just the last few days. She knew she was being given a second chance, and if she had one, certainly Jefferson should get one as well.

“We should talk soon,” Jefferson said. The hostility was gone from his voice. It was almost like they were back in their land again. Friends – closer than most.

Regina nodded. “We’ll make time.”

Grace stepped back and looked at Daniel. Then she turned back to Jefferson. “Papa, is this the Daniel you always talked about? Your friend from when you were younger?”

Jefferson nodded.

A dawning look of realization crossed Grace’s features. “So Regina is the same one you used to tell me about? Your best friend growing up?” She gazed between the two in wonder.

Jefferson nodded again and Grace grinned, throwing her arms around Regina once more. “Papa used to tell me all kinds of stories from your adventures. I can’t believe he was talking about you.”

Maleficent finally spoke up from behind Jefferson. “We have a few things we should discuss,” she said to Regina. She didn’t sound impatient, but there was a small amount of urgency in her voice, so Regina nodded.

“Grace, dear, Annie and Henry are in the kitchen putting together a puzzle with Tootles. Why don’t you join them? I’m sure Henry and Annie would love to see you again.”

Grace smiled as she pulled back again. “Alright.” She scampered off in the direction of the kitchen. Jefferson, seeming to know what was coming next, followed her.

The remaining three adults stood around awkwardly for a moment until Maleficent finally broke the silence. “I really need to speak with you, Regina, but I think you’d prefer this to be a private conversation.”

Daniel moved to leave but Regina’s voice stopped him. “No, Daniel. Wait.” She turned to Maleficent. “I’d actually like Daniel to be a part of any discussions we have.”

Maleficent’s expression didn’t change as she said, “If you’re sure.”

Regina locked eyes with Daniel. “I want him to know everything. No secrets, no doubts.”

Daniel gave her a small nod in acknowledgement of what she was doing. She wanted him to know everything so that he could see that she really was trying to change.

“Very well,” Maleficent said. “We should sit.”

“Follow me,” Regina said. She led them to the living room, where, much to the pleasant surprise of Regina, Daniel took a seat across from Maleficent, next to her. “What’s this about?” Regina asked.

“Your mother.”

The immediate dread set in and Regina really did shiver. She tried to fight it down so that it wouldn’t be as noticeable to Maleficent, but with very little luck.

Daniel was looking at Regina, shock and horror in his expression.

“What about her?” Regina asked after she’d attempted to compose herself.

“She needs to be dealt with. You can’t keep her locked up forever. She may not have her powers right now, but it wouldn’t be wise to ignore her for long.”

“Your mother’s _here_?” Daniel asked. “In _this_ world?”

Of course Daniel wouldn’t have any current knowledge of Cora, Regina thought. Everything involving her had transpired after the curse was broken. Realizing this, Regina laid a hand gently on Daniel’s shoulder.

“She’s locked up. Powerless. She won’t be able to do anything to you and I wouldn’t let her.”

Daniel remained silent, white as a sheet and Regina turned her head to look back at Maleficent.

“What do you know about my mother?” she bit out. Regina was angry. She knew that she’d have to do something eventually, but she’d finally managed to relax over the last few days. All of that peace she’d achieved was gone now.

“Actually,” Maleficent said, and she sounded hesitant and nervous – something that gave Regina pause. “That’s what I wanted to talk to you about.” She took a deep breath and swallowed. “I know because Cora is my sister.”


	43. Chapter 43

Regina’s mouth hung open. She couldn’t have heard that correctly. She _thought_ she’d heard Maleficent say that she was her mother’s sister, but that couldn’t have been right. There were already two aunts Regina had known nothing about, but Maleficent? No – no! It wasn’t possible.

“Regina, I know—” Maleficent started, but Regina put a hand up and shook her head. Her eyes stayed on the ground as she tried to sort through this new information.

“How long?” She finally asked and looked up to meet Maleficent’s eyes. “How long have you known you were my aunt?”

“I’ve always known,” Maleficent said gently. “Your whole life.”

It didn’t make sense that Regina had had so much family that she’d never known about, but somehow, Maleficent did make sense. She made more sense now than she ever had before. How they’d met, how Maleficent had always seemed to know how to act around her, why their friendship had developed easily, odd though it may have been. And suddenly, Regina felt betrayed.

“Why didn’t anyone ever tell me?” she asked suddenly.  Why didn’t _you_ tell me?”

“To protect you, Regina.”

“ _Protect_ me?” She looked at Maleficent in confusion. “From what?”

“Everything,” Maleficent answered vaguely, drawing an exasperated breath from Regina. “There is so much more at play than you realize, Regina. I couldn’t tell you who I was because I couldn’t jeopardize changing your path.”

“My path?” Regina asked under her breath, but Maleficent went on as if she hadn’t spoken.

“No one could know who I was. It would have put everything at risk.”

“Why didn’t my mother ever say anything? Was she in on this as well?”

“As I said, _no_ one knew who I was.”

“But surely mother would have recognized you?”

“If you recall, your mother and I never met face to face.”

“Yes, but she would have recognized your name. I mentioned you to her on more than one occasion.”

“Maleficent is not my given name,” Maleficent told her and she looked at Daniel.

“Athena,” he whispered.

Regina looked back and forth between the two of them in confusion. Maleficent was nodding. “How did you know that?” she asked Daniel.

“Wonderland,” he said simply. He went on to explain. “There were four sisters born to the King and Queen, meant to rule Wonderland together. Inari, Queen of Diamonds, Cora, Queen of Hearts, Athena, Queen of Spades and Elise, Queen of Clubs. Each had special powers that, when combined, could keep the peace and magic of Wonderland. The sisters, however, were greedy and power hungry. They killed their parents,” he said venomously. “And that is when the war began.” He looked at Maleficent. “Queen Athena was said to be the wisest of the sisters and people had hope that she might put an end to the war and end her sisters’ tyranny. She disappeared, however, and was believed to have died. Even her sisters thought she’d been killed.”

“All true,” Maleficent said. “Except, of course, for my being dead. I escaped, changed my name and adopted a new life.”

“You could have stopped the fighting,” Daniel said angrily. “That war killed what was left of my people.”

“My, dear,” Maleficent said. “There was nothing I could have done to stop that war. It was destined to happen. I regret that it took such a toll, but the price wasn’t as high as you might think. Your people are not all gone. They simply have not ventured from their world since they lost so many of their numbers.”

Regina cleared her throat, fresh memories of that war between worlds fresh in her mind. “How is any of what you’re talking about right?” she asked. “The events you’re describing took place long before the war broke out.” She was thinking of Jefferson’s role in all of it. _After_ she’d lost everyone she’d loved. “The war happened _years_ later.”

“Ahh,” Maleficent said sadly. “But it didn’t. The war started before everything you remember took place. It was small – contained at first. The events _you’re_ remembering came when it had expanded – when the consequences of the war became more wide-spread and deadly.” She looked sadly at Regina. “We all lost much in that war.”

So many questions swam in Regina’s mind and she had no idea where to begin. She didn’t even know how to feel about all of this. Her family started this war? Her mother had been born royalty? She’d seen some of this when she’d been witness to Annie’s memories, but she hadn’t understood any of it. Not that she understood any more of it now. There was more detail now, though. There was someone right here in front of her to explain it; someone who could answer questions. Two people, apparently. It seemed Daniel had always known much more about her family than she ever had. She looked at him sadly. “How come _you_ never told me any of this?”

“I promise you, Regina, I didn’t know who your mother was at first. I never saw her when we were in Wonderland. It wasn’t until after you cast the curse that I was able to make the connections.”

“But you knew about the war going on. You knew who Jefferson was. You could have said something.”

He shook his head. “No, I couldn’t. I couldn’t risk anyone knowing Annie and I were travelers. It would have been incredibly dangerous for you. Not to mention for Annie and I. I would never have risked that.”

“But if we’d known – if Jefferson had known –”

“Things needed to unfold the way they did,” Maleficent said. “It seems unfair, the way they did, but everyone played a part and it had to happen the way it did.”

Regina thought back to that horrible night. How could any of that have been necessary?

* * *

Regina rocked Grace slowly as she waited for Jefferson and Alice to meet her. Things had grown tense between the old friends over the last year. It had been hard when Regina had lost both Daniel and Annie, but she’d had her friends, even after moving to the palace and becoming Queen. She’d kept in close contact with her self-made family.

Things had started to shift, however. Murmurs about the growing hatred between worlds and travelers had begun to spread quickly. Regina had done her best to protect her best friend, but she’d also begun to learn magic from Rumpelstiltskin. She’d quickly learned Jefferson was also in league with the man. She’d started to grow suspicious of her friend’s activities and that had been the beginning of the rift between them.

As Regina grew more and more bitter about her loss of Daniel and Annie, Jefferson and Alice grew closer and closer. Regina started to resent their relationship – a representation of the one thing she’d wanted most with Daniel and would now never have.

When Grace was born, things were more like they had been before all the negative feelings had clouded their relationships. She was a light in the darkness and was loved immediately by all three adults. She was what brought them together again.

Jefferson and Alice noticed immediately the softness that had returned to Regina when she was around Grace. The softness that had become so forced and fake around her own stepdaughter – the girl she’d grown to hate. They made sure to visit often, leaving Grace in the Queen’s care whenever they had business to attend to.

The time went by quickly and Grace had turned one before everything changed. Jefferson and Alice stopped visiting. They stopped almost all communication with Regina entirely. At first, they claimed it was because of how unsafe it had become for them with all of the fighting going on. Then it had become obvious that other things were going on.

This was the first time in months that Regina had seen Grace. She gazed into the child’s eyes as she waited to hear what Jefferson and Alice had to say to her.

When they returned – that was when Regina had learned of their betrayal. They’d been working with Cora and had made a deal with her. In exchange for their help in getting to Wonderland, she’d protect their family – one of the last remaining traveling families.

Regina, through her rage, had still tried to warn them about her mother – had promised them she couldn’t be trusted. There was always something more with Cora.

And there had been. Cora had used them to get to Wonderland. Not wanting anyone else to have the power to travel through worlds, she used Jefferson to find out the identities of other travelers; locations, information about their families – everything. And then she’d killed Alice. He’d been left alive as Cora’s own personal traveler but had managed to escape in the chaos surrounding Alice’s death, determined to get home to his baby daughter.

As Jefferson fled Wonderland, other travelers were being systematically hunted and murdered. He’d set into motion the actions that brought the war to its peak. The mass killings of every traveler spread throughout the worlds. He’d helped Cora replace Inari as Queen of Wonderland and in doing so, condemned the worlds to the suffering and loss that would occur over the next several years. Where Inari had been unsuccessful in her mission to crumble the peace existing between worlds, Cora had both the intelligence and resources to accomplish just such a feat.

And it had happened all for one family. A wife and daughter Jefferson would end up losing anyway; one through his foolish deal with Cora, the other because of a foolish deal with the woman’s daughter – his former best friend. Oh, how things changed.

* * *

Regina had all but forgotten those peaceful moments with Grace until today. She’d remembered Jefferson’s betrayal clearly enough. His initial withdrawal from her life and then the act that ended their friendship – his deal with Cora – but she hadn’t let herself remember the reasons his withdrawal from her had hurt so much. He’d taken away the only family she had left. The only light remaining in the world that was growing darker with every spell she learned from Rumpelstiltskin. She’d wiped that from her memory to keep it from hurting so much; made herself numb – hollow. It had been the last hold-out to her becoming the Evil Queen.

Turning dark eyes on Maleficent, Regina’s voice chilled the room when she spoke. “What purpose could any of those events have served?”

“It needed to happen,” was all that Maleficent would say.

“But why?” Regina asked. “You keep saying that. You keep telling me there was a path – a way things had to happen, but you won’t say why.”

Maleficent sighed. “As much as I want to tell you, I’m not the right person to explain it. You’ll have to wait.”

Regina’s rage churned within her and she was on the edge of exploding when Maleficent said, “Cora is the person we must concern ourselves with now. She’s the one who set the war into motion, and who knows what would happen if she were to regain any kind of power? We can’t take that chance.”

Regina was breathing heavily, but she felt Daniel’s hand cover her own and squeeze. She couldn’t look at him – she was afraid he’d take away the contact – so, keeping her eyes down, she moved her hand to grasp his. It was the first physical contact they’d shared since the hug.

Maleficent stood. “I’ll leave you now, but don’t wait too long with Cora. My sister is a danger to all of us.”

As she made her way to the front door, Maleficent glanced sideways to see Annie sitting on the floor, leaning against the wall. It was obvious that she’d been listening to the conversation, but when she looked up at Maleficent, the expression on her face was unreadable. She said nothing as Maleficent glided past and there was an odd wordless exchange between the two of them. Annie knew she’d have to seek the woman out on her own time. There were questions she had a feeling only the strange blonde woman could answer.

Leaning her head back, Annie listened to the laughter coming from the kitchen once the front door had shut behind Maleficent. The curse had been broken, things were supposed to get easier, but they seemed to be doing the opposite. She wished more than anything that she could be a young child again; ignorant of the serious situation surrounding them, and even more frightening, the intense sensation that she would play a large part in all of it.


	44. Chapter 44

He’d given it time; he’d calmed down. Decision made, Brian piled his family into their car and headed to Storybrooke. Looking over at his wife when she squeezed his hand, he smiled.

“You don’t have to do this,” she said softly.

“I know,” he told her calmly. “But the girls should meet their grandfather. I want you to meet him, too, Brenna,” he sighed. “You know everything about my life here, but there are things you don’t know.”

She gave him a puzzled expression, not understanding the contradictory statement.

“Promise me you’ll be patient with me?” Brian asked.

“Of course I will,” she told him.

He gave her hand one more squeeze before returning it to the wheel.

“Daddy?” Sophie asked from the back seat. “Does this mean we’re going to see pretty stranger lady again?”

Brian still couldn’t understand how his youngest daughter had attached an obsession to the Evil Queen in the brief seconds they’d interacted.

“I don’t know, sweetheart. Maybe.” He was hoping not.

“What’s grandpa like?” Claire asked innocently. The girls knew the reason for this sudden trip to Storybrooke. They’d been quite excited by the prospect of meeting their grandfather. As both of Brenna’s parents had died before they were born, they’d never had a grandparent before.

Brian was silent for a moment. He didn’t know what to say. He could tell them about what his father had been like before he’d become the Dark One, but he didn’t want to risk them being disappointed. He couldn’t tell them memories from his childhood, either. They wouldn’t make sense to people who didn’t know his world existed. Finally, he settled on the one thing he knew to be true. “He’s going to be very excited to meet you.”

* * *

Emma was walking again. It seemed like she was doing a lot of walking lately, but her situation recently had required a lot of alone time and space to think.

She was so deep in thought that she didn’t notice the woman that appeared very suddenly in front of her. Not until she’d run smack into her.

Startled out of her thoughts, she looked down to see the petite woman she’d knocked to the ground. “Oh my god, I’m so sorry! I wasn’t looking where I was going. Are you okay?” She reached a hand out and pulled the woman to her feet.

“It’s quite alright,” the woman said and Emma was struck by how beautifully musical her voice was. “I suppose that’s what I should expect sneaking up on someone.”

It took a moment for the statement to sink in. “Wait…” Emma trailed off. “You were…you were looking for me?” She tried to remember if this was one of the townspeople that had been trying to meet with her, but she couldn’t recall seeing this woman before. Ever. Besides – how would anyone know where to look? She hadn’t told anyone where she was going – a stupid move she was realizing, but she hadn’t been thinking.

“Yes. Emma Swan?”

Emma nodded, frowning and tilting her head to the side. “Who are _you_?”

“My name is Scheherazade.”

Emma gave her a blank expression.

“We can walk while we talk if you would prefer?” Scheherazade suggested and Emma nodded. Best to head back to town.

“Do you have like a nickname or something?” Emma asked as they began the trek, “because I guarantee you I won’t remember Shere…Shez…whatever.”

“Scheherazade,” she smiled. “No one has ever given me one.”

“Really?” Emma asked.

Scheherazade nodded. She was well-known through all the lands – there’d never been a reason for her to have a nickname.

“Hmm. That’s hard to believe,” Emma mumbled. Then louder, she asked, “Mind if I give you one?”

Amused, Scheherazade smiled warmly. “If you wish.” Emma had always been different than the others from her world and Scheherazade found it refreshing to come upon someone who didn’t know her story.

“Yeah,” Emma said. “So…Cher?”

Scheherazade smiled once again, nodding.

“Alright then, Cher – now that we’ve introduced ourselves – how the hell did you know where to find me and why were you looking?” she asked, skipping straight to the point.

Rather than a shocked expression or the step back that most people took when confronted with Emma’s attitude, Scheherazade merely answered the question. “I needed to speak with you about August. And I know where to find you because I know you well.”

Emma decided to ignore the creepiness of the last statement for the moment and focus instead on the first. “August?”

“Yes. Pinocchio. I believe you two may be in the middle of a rather large, rather ugly fight?”

Emma’s eyes narrowed. “And what would you know of it?”

“Well, I believe much of the blame belongs with me.”

“Oh?” Emma asked. What an absurd conversation. Made more odd by the fact they were currently traipsing through the woods.

“You see,” Scheherazade continued, “August was working for me.”

Emma halted her movement. “Working for you? What are you talking about?”

“Everything he did – guiding you so that you would eventually fulfill your destiny,” she said, also stopping her movement. “I asked him to do it. I helped him write the book that helped young Henry find the truth.”

Emma stood dumbfounded for a moment. “Who the hell are you?” she asked.

“My story is long, but I can attempt to shorten it for you if you’d like.”

Starting forward again, Emma said, “Yes. Tell me.”

“If you wouldn’t mind – I’d prefer to tell the story only once. There is another who should hear it. Another who’s destiny is bound tightly to yours.”

“Henry?” Emma asked carefully.

“No.” Scheherazade actually looked confused before an expression that could almost be called sympathy crossed her features. “There is much you don’t understand. I can see that now. No – the one who’s bound to you is the Queen – Regina.”


	45. Chapter 45

Regina watched as Tootles ran to greet the other Lost Boys. They’d all been settled happily with their new families – the twins with Ariel and Eric, Curly and Slightly with Abigail and Frederick and Nibs with Marco. This was the first time the boys were together since the day they’d arrived. Regina smiled to see them all laughing and knocking each other’s shoulders in greeting. She turned when, in her periphery, she saw Neal enter the diner. She hadn’t seen him since Emma had talked to her about the situation with Henry.

Neal looked up and met her eye. He stopped for a moment and then reluctantly made his way over to her. Taking advantage of the Lost Boys momentary distraction, he came to a stop by her side. “Emma told me about your conversation,” he said.

“Oh?”

“I just wanted to say thank you – for giving me a chance to get to know my son.”

She turned to face him slowly and Neal swallowed when he recognized the cold and angry demeanor of the Evil Queen.

“Don’t misunderstand me. If you do _anything_ to hurt my son, I will make your life a living hell. I will not let you tell him who you are only to have you disappoint him. If you do this, you’re in it forever. There is no backing out – no running away. If you do, I will find you and I will kill you. Do I make myself clear?”

Neal gave a timid nod. Dealing with Emma seemed mild in comparison. Then again, he realized, Regina had raised Henry. Henry had been the reason for her switch back to the caring woman she’d been. He was everything to her and he knew that she meant it when she said she wouldn’t let him hurt her son in any way. It was in that moment that he knew for certain that his son had had a good life. Whoever Regina had been – whatever she’d done in the past – she’d put it behind her. She’d been a good mother to Henry and that was enough for Neal.

They both looked over at the Lost Boys who had yet to notice Neal’s presence.

“Thank you for bringing them here – for finding them homes,” Neal said, still watching the boys.

Regina looked at him. “I owed them. They couldn’t stay in Neverland.”

“I know,” Neal said. “A lot of that was my fault. I abandoned them.”

At this, Regina softened. “You weren’t more than a child yourself; you didn’t know what to do. You can’t blame yourself forever. If anyone’s to blame, it’s me.”

Neal looked at her in surprise. “You were just threatening me a minute ago and now you’re taking responsibility for something _I_ did?”

Regina’s eyes returned briefly to the Lost Boys. “I was threatening Neal to protect my son.” Looking back at him, she said, “Now I’m talking to Peter – a child I _should_ have protected but ended up hurting instead.”

Neal looked at her, watching her intensely. “Why did you do it? What happened to you?” All of these years and he’d never stopped wondering what had happened to make such a kind woman so evil.

“It was more a chain of events. Not any one thing. I lost a lot of people I loved. It was no excuse for what I did. I loved all of you, too. I should never have done what I did. There’s no way I can ever make up for what I did, but I want you to know – I’m sorry.”

Neal turned to face the Lost Boys but his hand found Regina’s and he gave it a gentle squeeze. Dropping it again, he immediately lightened the mood. “You have no idea how weird it is to be the same age as you again. I’d come to think of you as a mother.”

Regina let out a small laugh. “I think it might be just as unusual for me.”

They were silent for a few moments before Neal spoke again. “You can, you know – make up for what you did. You’ve already started – finding them homes, raising Tootles…he looks happy.”

Tootles chose that moment to come bounding over to Regina to wrap his arms around her legs. “Peter!” he said happily, not letting go of Regina’s legs. “What are you doing here?”

“I came to see all of you,” Neal told him.

“Mommy, will you pleeease stay?” Tootles pleaded with Regina.

Regina smiled down at him affectionately. Tootles had only very recently started using the name and it warmed her completely. Neal noticed as well and looked down at Tootles, watching him plead with her. It hadn’t taken long for Tootles to adjust to Regina as his mother. Then again, she very nearly had been all those years ago. She’d been close with all of them, but always closest with Tootles. Neal was pulled out of his thoughts by Regina’s voice.

“I’m sorry, sweetheart, but there is something I have to take care of. You’re going to have fun with the Lost Boys and Henry today, remember? It’s your turn to help Henry. You have to introduce him to everyone and help him get to know them.

He puffed up with pride at being given the responsibility. “Okay.”

Regina bent down and wrapped him tightly in a hug, giving him a kiss. “Have fun today. I love you!”

“I love you, too!” Tootles giggled. Regina nudged him away playfully before standing back up.

“Emma’s bringing Henry in a few minutes. If this is really what you want to do, maybe today would be a good day to do it. If you’re not sure – don’t. Say. Anything. Clear?”

Neal nodded and swallowed. “I promise I won’t hurt him, Regina.”

“Then we won’t have a problem.” With that, Regina disappeared out the front.

* * *

Cora sat calmly in her cell, watching Graham watch her. The two had been in a staring contest all day. Unlike Emma, the Sheriff didn’t become unsettled. It irritated her, but she refused to let that irritation show. She simply continued to stare at him, waiting for something in him to crack. It never did. Instead, both of their attention was pulled away when the door to the station opened and Regina appeared.

“Regina,” Cora began silkily, but stopped short when she saw who entered behind her. “And Athena,” she said more harshly. “I see you managed to find your way to this world as well.”

Maleficent didn’t respond. She trailed silently behind Regina as they drew closer to the bars.

“What?” Cora asked. “Come to finally kill me?”

Regina shook her head but didn’t say anything. The truth was she didn’t know what she was going to do with Cora. Cora was more powerful than her, but with Maleficent, they would most likely be able to overpower her. But what would they do? Sending her through to another world would only be condemning that world to an unpleasant fate. They couldn’t send her back to Wonderland; she now knew how to find her way out. That left very few options, but Regina couldn’t kill her. As much as she feared her, Cora was still her mother and Regina didn’t think she’d be able to do it.

Cora looked as if she was about to say something more, but the door opened once again, this time admitting Daniel and Annie.

Everyone went silent.

“Daniel!” Regina cried. “What are you doing here?!”

Daniel moved across the room swiftly, Annie close behind him. He kept a protective arm back around her as they moved, but didn’t take his eyes off of Cora the entire time.

Cora stared open-mouthed, unable to believe what she saw. For once, she didn’t have anything to say. Then, slowly, she closed her mouth and it slid into a malicious grin.

“Why would you come here?” Regina asked in a loud whisper. It wouldn’t have made a difference; everyone could hear her in the quiet room.

“We had to find you,” Annie said. “There’s someone here. Someone you need to talk to.”

“You couldn’t have waited?!”

“Not for this,” Daniel said matter-of-factly.

Cora looked back and forth between Daniel and Regina, one corner of her mouth lifted into a smirk. “This is different. There’s an…awkwardness between the two of you. I’d imagine it has something to do with the fact that you,” she gestured flippantly at Daniel, “are supposed to be dead. Well, this is an interesting turn of events. Your precious Daniel doesn’t love you anymore. I can tell.”

Regina drew in a slow breath, trying not to show just how much the words hurt her. She looked quickly down at the ground, desperately trying to gather her thoughts enough to think of something to say. She was saved by Daniel.

“You’re wrong,” Daniel said forcefully. “I never stopped loving her.” Regina looked up at him in surprise. Thankfully, Cora was too focused on Daniel to have noticed the look. “What you did to me, what you took from us was terrible, but it wasn’t our love. I remember you used to say love is weakness, but you’re wrong. Love is strength.” He looked into Regina’s shocked eyes and let his own words sink in. He brought a hand up to stroke her cheek gently and a tear slipped down her cheek that he quickly wiped away. He nodded. “Love is strength.” This time he whispered it and it was meant for her. He leaned in, capturing her lips with his own and kissed her gently at first, just as he had the first few times they’d kissed. It quickly became more, however, when they both melted into the kiss.

Maleficent cleared her throat and Daniel reluctantly pulled back, watching Regina’s face lovingly as he did so. “Right,” he whispered, never taking his eyes off of her. “We should go. There really is someone you should speak with.”

Regina, still trying to catch her breath and wrap her thoughts around what had just happened, nodded and allowed him to guide her toward the door.

Graham watched the whole scene, struck speechless. He watched Daniel lead Regina away, the two seeming to forget the world around them, Annie as she followed but turned around to stick her tongue out at Cora, and Maleficent as she shook her head in amusement, wrapping an arm around the younger girl as she passed and pulling her out the door along with her. Then he turned back to look at Cora who had turned back to him, a look of pure confusion mixed with horror. He shrugged and plopped down into his chair, kicking his feet up onto the desk. “Don’t ask me.”


	46. Chapter 46

Regina practically floated out of the Sheriff’s station. She grasped Daniel’s hand, savoring the moment while it lasted. She knew that it had most likely been for Cora that he’d kissed her and told her he loved her, but for now, she just wanted to pretend that it had been real and enjoy it.

“Who is it that I need to see?” she finally asked, curiosity overwhelming her desire to make the moment last.

“I think I should let her introduce herself,” Daniel told her. When she raised an eyebrow, he went on quickly. “Don’t worry, it’s not an enemy. She just needs to talk with you and Annie. I believe Emma will be there as well.”

“Hmm.” Regina wondered what could possibly concern the three of them. She was so deep in thought that she didn’t notice Daniel had stopped until her hand pulled against his. She took a step back toward him, looking up at him in confusion, a little bit of fear mixed into her expression.

“Maleficent, can you take Annie ahead? I’d like to talk to Regina for a moment.”

Maleficent nodded and continued walking, pausing momentarily when she noticed that Annie wasn’t following behind her. Instead, she was looking back and forth between Regina and Daniel, concern filling her eyes. She’d been as surprised by Daniel’s actions inside as everyone else and she, too, worried that they’d simply been for show.

Afraid that Daniel was about to say something hurtful to Regina, she lingered – until Daniel looked at her. She hadn’t been sure what his intentions were. Though he’d raised her for several years, it had been so long and they’d both been through unimaginably traumatic events. There was no telling how he’d treat Regina. He still loved her, Annie knew that, and he had become much friendlier with her over the last several days, but it was nothing compared to what it had been before. With everything Regina had done, Annie wasn’t sure he’d ever forgive her. Not the way Annie had forgiven her. But this time when he looked at her, she was looking at the Daniel from her childhood. His eyes were warm, his expression loving. He was completely relaxed, and Annie knew immediately that he wasn’t going to hurt her.

Without any words exchanged, Annie smiled at both of them before turning around and nodding at Maleficent to continue.

Regina, for her part, still looked nervous. It didn’t matter how Daniel looked, she’d convinced herself that he would never stop being angry with her. The fact that he now wanted to speak with her alone made her cautious. She looked down at their still joined hands with a deep sadness. She knew the moment was about to come to an end and she was trying to soak up as much of it as she could before it was over.

Sure enough, a second later, Daniel’s hand pulled out of Regina’s. Eyes still focused on the ground, she tried not to cry. It would be of no use. Daniel didn’t love her anymore and it would probably just make him angry. She didn’t want to appear weak to him.

But then, his hands were on her face. She felt him lift her head until she looked up into his eyes. Instead of anger, he shared her sad expression. “I’m sorry,” he said sincerely.

She could only nod. At least he was going to let her down gently. He would be nice about it.

“I’m sorry that it took me so long.”

He saw her confusion. Putting a hand carefully against her cheek, he brushed it gently with his thumb and she closed her eyes, leaning into the contact.

“I’m sorry I didn’t tell you how I felt sooner. I was just so angry about everything you’d done. But Annie was right. You were trying so hard to change – to be a good person again – and you have, you are. I just refused to believe it because I guess I was trying to protect myself, too.”

Regina’s eyes opened once again, but the confusion remained. “I never stopped loving you,” he said gently, and Regina took a shaky breath. The surprise on her face at the fact that he was repeating what he’d just said inside hurt him. Had he really been so cold toward her that she believed he’d say something like that to her and not mean it? To rip the idea from her only minutes later? And he realized that, yes, he had. He regretted withholding his love for the one woman who’d needed it most desperately her entire life.

“Oh, Regina,” he said, and pulled her into him tightly. He felt her body begin to shake against him and her cries became audible.

“I’m so, so sorry,” he continued. “I was just so afraid that I’d love you and you’d end up using that to hurt me, and that was so foolish of me! Annie tried to tell me, but I wouldn’t listen. I was just so angry and afraid – and confused.”

Regina pulled back from the embrace, sniffing and wiping her tears away while shaking her head violently. “No, Daniel. You shouldn’t be apologizing to me. I should be apologizing to you! After everything I’ve done, after what I—” she took a deep breath, but the next words still came out a wail. “After what I did to you—” Fresh tears fell and she fought them to cry, “I’m so sorry, Daniel! All of this is my fault!”

Daniel pulled her back into him and kissed her head, smoothing her hair back. He started rubbing continuous circles on her back. “It’s okay now. It’s all okay. We’re both here, and most importantly, I love you.”

“I love you, too,” Regina whispered.

Daniel pulled her head up and kissed her, this time without interruption. Neither of them broke the kiss for a long time and when they finally did, Regina leaned her head on his shoulder. After a moment, she chuckled.

“What’s funny?” Daniel asked.

“Nothing – it’s just...Of all the scenarios I played out in my head of how we could magically be reunited somehow. If you were somehow alive and we found each other…” she trailed off, chuckling again.

Daniel joined in after he thought about what she was saying. “You’re right. We’re sort of a mess, aren’t we?”

It became full-out laughter and they both just let the laughter roll over them, washing away the dull ache that had been there not long before.

Eventually, the laughter quieted and Regina sighed contentedly.

“Feel better?” Daniel asked, and he felt Regina nod against his chest.

“Oh, yes. I feel perfect.”

“Do you suppose we had better go and talk to the woman now?”

“Do we have to?”

He laughed lightly. “I think it would be best, yes.”

Reluctantly, Regina pulled herself up. “Alright, then, lead me to her.”

Daniel smiled and took her hand, pulling her up against him. As he started to move forward, he interlaced their fingers and stroked the back of her hand lightly. This time, Regina allowed herself to completely relax. Daniel loved her! He loved her, and he wasn’t going to leave. For the moment, she didn’t allow herself to think about who this strange woman was or what she wanted. She let her mind fill only with thoughts of Daniel, and she smiled. This was exactly what she’d always wanted.

* * *

Brian had never been so nervous in his life. He didn’t even think standing at the mouth of that portal as a child compared to this. He was standing, family around him, on the doorstep of his father’s house after having rung the bell. There was still time to stop this. Seconds where he could pull his family away from this house – this town. They could go on pretending that none of this had ever been a part of their lives, just like he had his whole life.

Only he knew that it was already too late. He’d crossed the point of no return when he’d brought them over the town line. Now that they were here, his family wouldn’t just let them leave.

And then there were footsteps. There really was no turning back. The door opened slowly and it was Belle who was standing on the other side. She smiled warmly and brightened even further when she saw his family with him.

“Come in, come in,” she chirped. “Rumple will be down in a moment. Oh, he’ll be so pleased to see you!”

The kids bounced past her and Brenna stepped in slowly after them. “You call him Rumple?” she asked, looking at the woman as she pulled her scarf off. “Brian?” She looked back to see him frozen in the doorway.

“Rumple?” he asked.

Belle nodded, looking at him with meaning.

Panic flooded Brian. How had his father not told him? But then, he realized with anger, he’d instructed his father very specifically not to contact him. He’d told him that he would call him when he was ready.

Only he hadn’t called. He’d thought it would make him lose his nerve and had done the stupid, impulsive thing – shown up without a word. And look where it had gotten him – smack dab in the middle of a cursed town with no more curse. His family – his innocent, unknowing, from _this_ world family – was now in a town with living fairytale characters who knew their true identities. They wouldn’t be able to simply blend into the town as visitors just passing through anymore. People would be wondering why outsiders without the knowledge of magic had found their way into town. They’d start talking to them, asking them questions.

Suddenly overwhelmed with thoughts that his family could now easily find out who he truly was, Brian couldn’t speak. He watched as Brenna stepped forward.

“I’m sorry – we haven’t been properly introduced.” She smiled and put her hand out. “I’m Brenna, Brian’s wife.”

Belle shook her hand. “Belle.”

“Oooo, like the princess from ‘Beauty and the Beast’?” Sophie asked, suddenly bouncing up to the woman.

“These are our daughters,” Brenna continued. “Sophie,” she said, pulling her into her side with one arm and reaching the other to draw Claire closer. “And this is Claire.”

Claire looked up shyly.

Belle bent slightly to level herself with the girls. “It’s lovely to meet you.”

“ _Are_ you a princess?” Sophie asked, not to be deterred from her questioning.

Belle winked before standing up straight.

“Mommy, mommy! It’s Belle! It’s really her!”

Brenna smiled and ran her hand through Sophie’s hair as she looked at Belle. “Our Sophie’s always been a dreamer.”

“That’s a wonderful quality to have,” Belle said. “Never lose it,” she told Sophie.

Brian, who’d been frozen in horror, finally found his voice. “Brenna, the living room is just through there.” He pointed off in that direction. “Could you take the girls? I’ll join you in a minute.”

Brenna looked at him oddly, knowing by his voice that something was wrong. More wrong than it had been before the door had been opened to them. Knowing how much stress her husband was under, however, she found herself nodding. “Sure. Come on, girls! Let’s go sit.”

Once they were out of earshot, Brian turned to Belle. “When?”

He didn’t have to say anything more for Belle to know exactly what he was talking about.

“Last week.”

“Last w—” he ran a hand through his hair roughly, turning away. “Dammit!”

“Brian?”

Brian turned to find his father entering the room. Despite having walked in during that precise moment, Gold’s face still broke into a smile.

“You came back.”

“Yeah, I came back!” Brian huffed. “And now the curse is broken, and my family is sitting in there,” he gestured toward the living room, “and they’re going to find out!”

“You brought your family?” He knew his son wasn’t at all pleased with the current situation, but he couldn’t keep the smile off his face with the news that his granddaughters were only a few rooms away.

“This was a mistake!” Brian growled, pacing the floor. “I knew this was a mistake!”

“It’ll be alright,” Gold said, trying to calm his son down. He didn’t want to lose this chance to meet his family. “We’ll figure something out. They don’t have to know about any of it.”

Just as he finished, the sound of all three of his family screaming came from the living room.

Brian rushed towards his wife and daughters, all kinds of scenarios running through his head. By the time he reached the doorway, the screaming had stopped. He could see his wife holding Sophie and Claire close, all of them looking in fear at something he couldn’t see from the doorway.

Stepping inside, his eyes immediately found the source of the commotion. On the wall there was a mirror with a man’s face inside and the man was looking around at all of them in confusion.

It looked as if he’d just lost all hope of getting his family out of town before they find out who he truly was. “Dammit!” he swore again.

The man in the mirror looked around at everyone again before he settled on Brian. “Was it something I said?”


	47. Chapter 47

Gold stepped forward. “Mr. Glass – is there something I can help you with?” He didn’t bother at keeping the irritation from his voice. Not only was Sidney intruding in his home, he’d managed to choose the very moment that Brian’s family occupied his living room. Having his son back in his life and re-earning his trust was already an uphill battle, and now, the one thing Brian had stipulated in their agreement was gone. There was no hiding magic from his family anymore; not after a man had appeared in the mirror to speak with him.

Brenna and her two daughters stared back and forth between the mirror and Mr. Gold. The girls began to smile. Brenna didn’t.

“Yes, actually,” Sidney said. “You weren’t answering your phone and your presence is required at the town hall immediately. A Ms. Scheherazade is here and wishes to speak with you.”

Mr. Gold straightened. “Scheherazade?”

“Yes. She’s asked that you come immediately. She needs to speak with you.”

“Tell her I’m on my way,” Gold said, picking up his scarf.

“But…” Brian said, “we just got here and—” he gestured helplessly at his family.

Mr. Gold paused, looking torn. He glanced at his granddaughters with regret. There was nothing he wanted more than to sit down and talk to them, to actually _meet_ them. If it were anyone else waiting for him, he would, but this was Scheherazade. He couldn’t keep her waiting.

“I know,” he said sadly. “I’m sorry son, I have to go. But I promise I’ll be back, and I’ll do my best to help you get everything sorted out.”

Brian watched his father leave, completely at a loss for what to do. His family had not just _heard_ about magic, they’d actually _witnessed_ it, something that couldn’t be undone. He would have no choice now but to tell them the truth.

* * *

Regina looked around curiously at the odd group assembled in Town Hall. Annie, Maleficent and Emma stood next to a woman Regina didn’t recognize. Sidney Glass was there as well, looking extremely nervous. He was sandwiched between an uncomfortable looking August and an irritated Mr. Gold.

“Regina,” the strange woman said, stepping forward. Her voice held an odd sort of affection in it and she held her hand up as if she were going to stroke Regina’s cheek. She seemed to think better of it at the last second and moved her hand down, holding it out as she introduced herself. “I’m Scheherazade. I’ve been waiting a _very_ long time to meet you.”

Regina shook her hand in a sort of daze. “Scheherazade?” she asked incredulously.

Regina’s mind flashed back to the memories of when Jefferson had first told her about Scheherazade’s origins – the world of the damned. She shivered at the memories of the very recent encounter with her sister, the nameless woman with the dark hair and soulless eyes. Aside from the dark hair, seeing Scheherazade now, the two sisters couldn’t be more different. While Regina recalled only being able to describe the sister’s complexion as cold, Scheherazade was the opposite. She had golden undertones to her skin, making her glow in a way that matched the expression of joy and serenity she wore. Her eyes were filled with life and a contagious warmth that spread to everyone she looked at.

“You’ve been waiting to meet _me_?” It seemed odd. This was the woman who knew all; a storyteller who was renowned in both their world and this one. She was said to know the stories of everyone’s lives and how they would unfold. It seemed strange that of everyone in the world, she wanted to meet the Evil Queen.

“Yes,” Scheherazade said warmly. “You are a very important person to me – the key to everything.”

“I’m sorry?” Regina said. She looked at Daniel, but he only shrugged. She didn’t get anything from Gold, either. He seemed as confused as she was.

Despite the happiness that Scheherazade exuded, Regina couldn’t help but feel a little nervous at the news that Scheherazade was here to meet her, and that she had a vested interest in Regina and what she did.

“We should sit,” Scheherazade told the group. “This may take a while to explain.”

* * *

“What was  _that_ ?” Brenna asked, sounding hysterical. “You’d better start explaining Brian, because it certainly seems like everyone here knows what’s going on but us. What the  _hell_ was that?”

Brian glanced quickly at Claire and Sophie, absurdly thinking about the swear word used in front of them. He knew that was the least of his concerns right now, but it seemed to be the only thing he could really focus on. He supposed it was because he was doing everything he could to avoid the current situation.

“We should all sit down,” Brian finally said. There was no way out of this now – not after what had been seen.

Brenna blinked at him, looking as if she wanted to say something, but then she, too, glanced at their young daughters and seemed to think better of it. Instead, she guided the two girls over to the couch and sat them both down. Nodding at Brian as he took a seat across from them, she said, “Start explaining.”

Brian swallowed past a lump in his throat. Beyond the obvious of him not wanting his family to know the truth, Brenna had never looked at him like this – they’d _always_ been open with one another. There’d never been anything for anyone to have to explain. He knew she was going to hate that he’d kept something this big from her, but who could blame him? She would never have agreed to marry him if he’d told her. She would have thought he was just as crazy as everyone thought he’d been as a child. He only hoped that she would try to be understanding when he finished explaining everything. He knew he’d been lucky in marrying one of the most loving and understanding women in the whole world, but it was hard to keep that in mind with the way she was looking at him now.

It was just fear, he told himself. How could anyone who’d just witnessed magic for the first time act any differently? She was just afraid.

As was he. Because – even now, when he had no choice but to explain – he knew most of his story would still seem unbelievable.

“Brian?” He looked back up at his wife – realizing he’d been silent for far too long. The girls fidgeted on the couch a bit, not knowing what was going on. They continued to look back and forth between their parents, never having seen them fight before and not sure what to make of it.

“I’ll explain everything,” he promised, “but there’s one thing I need you to do for me in return. I need you to listen to _everything_ I have to say, and no matter how crazy it sounds, please just give me a chance, okay? Please?”


	48. Chapter 48

Everyone was now seated comfortably around the table in the Mayor’s office. It was still lavishly decorated in Regina’s style, despite the fact that she hadn’t been back here since the curse had been broken the second time. A permanent mayor was still being decided upon. Most of the townspeople were alright with Regina continuing on after recent events. She _had_ saved the town and kept her promise about making sure the curse was broken again. She’d also shown a change in demeanor ever since returning from Neverland. Besides all of that, she had all of the political knowledge required for the job. In fact, she was really the only one currently qualified.

But that wasn’t the reason they were all gathered now. Regina looked down the table at Scheherazade and wondered what exactly it was that had brought the strange group together.

“Not to be rude,” Gold placed his hands on the table, “but I have somewhere rather important to be and I was told this was urgent.” There was definitely a familiar undertone of impatience when he spoke, but everyone at the table was surprised by the amount of restraint he used when he spoke to Scheherazade. She commanded a level of respect that even the Dark One was mindful of.

Scheherazade nodded at him before looking around at everyone. “You’re correct. I’ve brought you all here because the worlds are in danger.”

No one spoke for a minute. It was Emma who finally leaned forward and broke the stunned silence. “I’m sorry…I may have gotten a little water in my ears this morning. Could you repeat that, because what I _thought_ you just said was ‘the worlds are in danger’?”

“You heard me correctly, Emma. There is a force that currently threatens the balance of the worlds, and even if it is not dealt with soon, every world you know will change drastically – not for the better. Some will even be destroyed.”

Regina turned to look at Daniel, fear in both of their eyes as they turned to look at Annie. Gold was frowning down at the tabletop, as was Sidney, and August was watching Emma, who was looking around incredulously at everyone’s reactions – or lack thereof.

“Am I the only one who heard that we all might _die_?” She shook her head. “I have a hard enough time thinking about the world outside of Storybrooke, forget about other worlds. _Hello_? I feel like people aren’t as concerned about this as they should be.”

“We are all concerned, I assure you, Ms. Swan,” Gold informed her, finally looking up. “However, I’m sure that Scheherazade would not have brought us all here unless she had a solution to the problem. She _did_ say it was something that needed to be dealt with.” He turned to look at Scheherazade. “Did you not?”

“I did.”

“Perhaps before you explain the solution,” Maleficent spoke from the other end of the table, “you should explain the cause. It would be beneficial for them to understand.”

“And what makes you so calm?” Emma asked. “Both you and August look like none of this is news.” She narrowed her eyes at August slightly.

“Pinocchio – Mr. Booth – has been an essential part of helping me to stop this threat. Let me explain everything, and you will understand. Maleficent already knows much of what I will tell you. She knows my sister well, and my sister is where this story begins.

My sister and I once ruled harmoniously. It was not simply the world of the damned. My sister saw past and present while I saw present and future. We shared our knowledge to keep the fates of all worlds balanced – much like the travelers. They were our missionaries – sent to keep the peace where we saw discord. We worked together to keep _all_ of the beings of the universe in their proper places. There is a natural order and even beings as horrible as wraiths are an important link. Neverland is a kind of center to all of the worlds - that is why it was the home of my sister and I. We saw to it that life continued on as it should. We sorted which souls were to go back or to move on, which were to become fairies, which were bound for damnation, and so on. It was not always a pleasant job, but it was a necessary one. My sister, however, allowed the darkness to seep into her own soul. She became greedy and power-hungry. She used my knowledge of the future to arrange future events that would upset the fragile balance of the worlds and bring millions of souls for her to damn. She craved to be Queen of the Damned, not only in Neverland, but in all of the other worlds as well.

She used her darkness to temporarily cloud my vision of the future so that I wouldn't see what she was planning. She very nearly succeeded. Though I was too late to stop her from setting her plan into motion, I was able to see what would come to pass. My sister banished me from Neverland, and without our combined powers, I could no longer use my power to fix the damage she had caused. I had no choice but to wait in the shadows until I had regained some of my strength and do something to change the destiny she had planned.

While I was in hiding, I was captured by an evil Sultan who collected wives. He would take a new wife each day and kill her when she failed to entertain him with stories. I managed to survive several years on the stories I'd gathered from my time watching over Neverland, but I was growing tired, and I needed to escape so that I could stop my sister's destruction. I'd developed a friendship with one of the Sultan's guards and he agreed to help me escape."

Everyone noticed how she smiled across the table at the ever-silent Sidney, who blushed and looked down at his hands in his lap. They turned back to Scheherazade in confusion as she continued her story.

"It took several weeks of planning, but I was finally able to escape. The guard, however, was caught, and as punishment, the Sultan turned the guard into a genie; cursed to live out an eternity in a lamp."

Regina looked in amazement at Sidney. " _You_  were the guard who saved Scheherazade from the Sultan?"

Sidney nodded. "And I was the genie for hundreds of years before I was freed by King Leopold."

Emma watched them curiously. She was not completely unfamiliar with the tale 'One Thousand and One Nights', though this one, like most of the others, was quite different from the one she'd known. But that Sidney had ever been anything aside from the mayor's sniveling errand boy was intriguing. She'd never given him much thought, but she suddenly found herself wanting to know his story. Obviously, at some point, his path had crossed with Leopold and Regina, and she wondered what had set him on the path that had bound him to Regina's side. Now was not the time, she knew, so she turned back to Scheherazade.

"Your...Sidney, as you call him now, was a very brave man. He saved me and made it possible for me to continue my important work. My sister had sent a message to Rumpelstiltskin through a young seer who would lead him to the darkness that consumed his soul."

Regina turned to Rumpelstiltskin to see him watching Scheherazade. This part of the story didn't seem to come as a surprise to him.

Scheherazade's eyes came to rest on Regina.

"That is where you enter the story, my dear."

Regina's wide eyes turned to meet Scheherazade's.

"It may have been Rumpelstiltskin who manipulated you into the use of dark magic and casting the curse, but it was my sister who orchestrated the entire idea." She looked at her sadly. "I only wish I could have prevented all of your pain, but it was not meant to be." Smiling slightly, she added, "You reminded me so much of myself; young, vibrant, happy, in love." She saddened again immediately. "I, too, had lost love. I knew what it meant to be tricked into using my power for something evil. To lose everything I'd known and be trapped in a loveless marriage with nothing but loss and despair to keep me company.

My sister had seen the whole thing as well and she made sure to use your pain to her advantage. It would be you to cast the Dark Curse that would destroy your world. That would be the catalyst to the destruction of the entire system. Without your world, the fragile balance would be crippled."

Everyone in the room was now watching Regina as she absorbed the news that she'd been the weapon in this whole grand plan.

"But that world wasn't destroyed with the curse," Annie suddenly said, sitting up straight. "Regina and I went back there for Graham. Everything was just as it had been – the only things missing were the people."

"Yes," Scheherazade smiled. "I was able to circumvent my sister's original plan. I'd come to this world many, many years before, spreading the stories I knew would come to pass as a way to establish a strong sense of hope in the people inhabiting this place. It would be crucial to the persistence of everyone in overcoming the curse and remembering their true lives. I was able to use the same seer my sister had to find Rumpelstiltskin and give him the message of hope; a baby girl born of true love who would have the ability to break the Dark Curse. It is what kept your world from being destroyed.

When the curse was cast, however, the tales I'd told years before had been twisted and warped almost beyond recognition. The hope had remained, but the guiding path to breaking the curse no longer existed. I was fortunate to find Pinocchio; a boy who, though young, still held memories of his old world. I helped him to create the story book that held the tales that would help Emma find a way to believe and stop the darkness that my sister had started. He was able to ensure that the book would land in the hands of someone who could help guide Emma to break the curse. August had to take some regrettable steps in order to keep you on your path," she told Emma sadly. "But I assure you that everything he did was necessary for the safety of the worlds. He cares deeply for you and it pained him greatly to do anything that would cause you to be unhappy. I take full responsibility for everything that occurred, as it was I who asked these things of him."

Emma knew it wasn't right to be angry with this woman, but she couldn't help it. It seemed like her entire existence up 'til now had been mapped out for her before she was even born. Though, the same could be said of Regina, and she'd been dealt a much worse hand. If Regina wasn't angry with Scheherazade, Emma certainly shouldn't be.

"But I don't understand," she said. "The curse is broken now. Their world – my world – whatever, is intact, so the threat is gone, isn't it? Her plan failed."

"Yes, but as I said, this was only her initial plan. Though it will be much harder now, she still has a chance of ruining the natural balance."

"How?"

"That half of Neverland must be sealed from all but the souls who are ferried in and the Travelers. Though no normal human can escape, my sister has the ability to send people out temporarily. In exchange for their limited freedom, they do her bidding in whichever world she sends them to. They still have the ability to unravel everything I've worked to achieve. The only way to make sure the balance is maintained is to stop those who may leave Neverland, and in doing so, finally bring about the peace that is necessary for the Travelers to continue their work. It has been many years since they have left their world. My sister saw to that. With them back in their positions, proper order would be restored, the worlds would be safe, and we could all live in harmony once again."

"But how will we be able to do that?" Daniel asked. "Anyone who enters the world of the damned is trapped. The only person who's been able to find a way out is Annie and it nearly killed her."

"That is the case now, but it won't remain that way for long. Hook has the ability to take his ship across the borders of Neverland. He can ferry your sister through undetected and she'll be able to create the proper barriers from within." She smiled warmly at Annie and her eyes sparkled. "Your parents gave you a very special gift, Annie. They knew how important you were. They loved you very much, and that love is what will help you seal off Neverland for good."

"But she'll be trapped!" Daniel protested. "I'm not losing my sister again, even if it means the end of the worlds."

"Daniel," Annie said softly.

"You don’t have to worry," Scheherazade told them both. "I wouldn't send her in if I didn't have a way of bringing her back out. The Travelers will be able to re-establish their connection with the world and open the door for her."

"But they haven't left our world for years, as you said. How can we be sure they would know to come? How do we know if they would even be willing?"

"Trust me when I say they will be more than willing. The elders have known since your sister was very young that she was destined for greatness. When the wars came, they also knew that it was she who could bring peace once again."

"Then why didn't they tell us? Why didn't they tell our parents?"

"Daniel, your parents knew her destiny."

"Then why did they have to die?"

"Because they knew theirs as well. Your sister would never have gained the powers she did if your parents had not sacrificed their own to her through their love and desire to keep her alive. You never would have met Regina, and she would have joined with dark forces much earlier than she did. The roads we travel are often difficult and full of pain, but everything happens for a reason. It is not always clear, but you must trust that it will work out. You must work to make it better."

Daniel nodded. "So how do we reach the elders? Will Annie take us there?"

"No. She must go to Neverland as soon as I've talked with Hook."

"Then how will we reach them? I'm still recovering from my time in the world of the damned, and even if I had my ability back, I never learned where the door to this world was."

It was Maleficent who answered him. "Jefferson will take you. It's time for you to return to your world and unite your people so they can rejoin the rest of the worlds. They'll be waiting for you."

"Will this really work?" Annie asked quietly. "I don't even know how to create the barriers."

"You have to trust in yourself. The knowledge is there. It will work. Now," Scheherazade stood from the table, "I suggest everyone prepare themselves. We won't have much time."

Everyone joined her in standing. Gold and Sidney both hurried to the door, eager to leave for different reasons. Emma wasn’t far behind; August on her heels, trying to catch up with her to talk.

“Daniel.”

Daniel turned to look at his old friend Jefferson.

“I’ll be ready whenever you want to leave. I imagine you’ll want to see Annie off safely before we go?”

Nodding, Daniel gave him a small smile. “Thank you. It really is good to see you again, Jefferson.”

The odd pair left the room, Maleficent glancing over her shoulder to give a small smile and nod in Scheherazade’s direction.

Regina, Daniel and Annie remained behind, getting the sense that Scheherazade wanted to speak with them alone. Regina actually had a question of her own that she’d been waiting to ask.

“The souls that your sister sent out in her place…are they the reason the curse had to break?”

Scheherazade nodded. “The people of Storybrooke would be vulnerable to an attack of any kind if they didn’t have their memories of magic and your world. It would make it that much easier for my sister to find a way to destroy your world, even after I managed to save it. The curse needed to break anyway; for you and Annie, for Daniel, for Henry. There were many reasons this was the right thing.”

Regina smiled, pulling Annie into her side. “I know that now. Thank you.”

Scheherazade reached a hand out and placed it gently against Regina’s cheek. “It is I who should be thanking you.”

Regina shook her head. “I was the cause of all of this.”

“No. You were a pawn that my sister used cruelly, but you still had the strength to overcome it, as I knew you would. You suffered greatly to get to this point, but your recent actions have given us our best chance to put the threat to rest once and for all.”

“Because of you.”

“I provided the stories that Henry read, but everything that you did was _you_. After the curse was broken, you made the decision to redeem yourself and you stayed on that path. It was nothing to do with me, but I knew that you could do it.” Taking Regina by surprise, Scheherazade leaned forward and wrapped her arms around Regina. “You are the strongest person I’ve ever known. You reminded me long ago why what I do is so important and why I should never give up. Thank you. You deserve the happiness that will come to you.”

Regina returned the hug, completely at a loss for words. When they pulled apart, she offered a watery smile. “Thank you.” She looked at Annie, caressing her face lightly before turning to Daniel. “But my happiness is already here.”

* * *

Less than an hour later, the trio was standing on the docks with Hook and Scheherazade, Hook’s crew preparing the ship behind them.

Daniel wrapped his arms around his sister. “I wish I could come with you,” he whispered fiercely into her ear.

“Me, too.” Annie had a hard time keeping the tears in.

“Be careful. I expect to see you later today, safe and sound.”

“I will.”

Regina looked at Hook. “And I expect _you_ to protect her with your life,” she told him. “I’ll hold you responsible if anything happens to her.”

“I’ll take care of her, Regina. I promise.”

“You’d better.”

“I’m scared,” Annie told Daniel, finally pulling away. “What if I can’t do it?”

“You can,” Daniel reassured. “Use our parents love to guide you. It was their gift – to save you and prepare you for this.”

“I feel like Harry Potter,” Annie choked out, a mix of laughter and fear in her shaky voice.

Regina smiled – the only one to understand the reference in the group – and stepped forward, pulling Annie into her arms. “You’re stronger. I know you can do this Annie. You don’t have to be afraid.”

Annie nodded into her shoulder and a tear slipped out. “How were you not afraid?”

“I just thought of you and Daniel and the fear faded away. It saved me and it will keep you safe. Just focus on your love.”

Annie gripped the back of Regina’s jacket tightly, not wanting to let go, but she knew they were running out of time. Pulling back, she looked at her and Daniel. “I love you.”

“And I love you,” Regina told her, kissing her forehead.

“I love you, too,” Daniel told her, giving her one last quick hug.

As Hook helped Annie onto the ship, Regina moved into Daniel’s side, leaning into him and wrapping her arms around his waist. He hugged her back tightly. They both felt they were on the verge of breaking down, but knew it was important to keep it together for Annie.

Finally, the ships anchor was raised and Annie leaned over the side. They watched each other and waved until they were too far away to see.

Regina finally let a sob escape as she buried her head into Daniel’s chest. “She shouldn’t have to do this alone,” she said. “It isn’t fair.”

“It isn’t,” Daniel agreed, resting his head on top of hers and closing his eyes to keep his own tears in. “But she can do this. We’ll see her again soon.”

“I know,” Regina whispered. “I just want this to be over.”

“Soon,” he told her, placing a kiss to the top of her head before resting it against hers again. “Soon.”


	49. Chapter 49

Brenna was sitting on a park bench watching her two young daughters play on the play structure and trying to wrap her head around the events of the afternoon. She'd told Brian she needed a little bit of space so that she could work things out on her own.

Sophie pulled her out of her thoughts when she ran up to her. “Mommy, mommy! Guess what?”

“What is it, sweetheart?” Brenna sat up a little straighter, trying not to appear too drained in front of her youngest daughter.

“The Lost Boys are here! The ones from Peter Pan. Tootles and Curly and Slightly, all of them, and they said they’re new here, too! They came from Neverland on Captain Hook’s ship and Tootles is the same age as me and he wants to be my friend, mommy! He says he has a mommy now, too, and he likes this world and he wants to stay here forever and ever.”

“Wow, that’s neat, Sophie,” Brenna smiled at her daughter. It was half-hearted, and she hoped her daughter didn’t notice. It was hard enough trying to adjust to this situation without her daughter babbling excitedly about all of the new people she was meeting. Fairytale people; people that belonged in storybooks and Disney movies, certainly not as walking, talking, real people.

Happy to have had her excitement acknowledged, Sophie bounced back over to the boy Brenna thought must be Tootles and had to smile at how adorable he was and how cute the two young children were smiling and talking with one another.

Tootles attention was soon diverted, however, as he glanced over Sophie’s shoulder and cried, “Mommy!”

Brenna watched as a brunette woman approached with a smile and Tootles launched himself into her arms, laughing happily and wrapping his legs and arms around her as she swung him into her arms. He smiled and buried his head into her neck. “I missed you!”

“I missed you too, darling,” the woman said. She gave him a quick kiss to the side of his head before setting him down.

“Where’s Annie?”

Brenna watched curiously as the woman’s expression saddened. “She had to leave for a little while. Daniel and I will explain everything when we get home. What about Henry?”

“He and Peter went away for a little while. They’re coming back soon. Is everything okay, mommy?”

 “It’s fine, don’t worry.” The woman caressed his cheek lovingly. “Why don’t you keep playing with the other boys? We should leave when Henry comes back.”

The rest of the Lost Boys approached, looking at Tootles. “Do you have to go?” the tallest one asked.

“Mommy says I can stay until Henry gets back.”

Brenna smiled as all of the children cheered. They all ran off, but the sight of Sophie approaching the newcomer caught her eye. Sophie smiled up at the woman brightly. “Hi!”

Bending down to eye level, the woman smiled back. “Well, hello again. Sophie, right?”

Sophie nodded up and down enthusiastically, her smile widening even further. “You remembered!”

Brenna didn’t have to wonder much longer who this woman was or how her daughter knew her, as Sophie grabbed her hand and pulled her toward the bench. “Mommy! It’s pretty stranger lady!”

The woman looked down at Sophie with an amused expression and a raised eyebrow. She extended her hand politely. “Regina. You must be Brian’s wife.”

“Brenna,” she nodded, taking her hand. “It’s nice to finally meet you. Sophie has gone on and on about you.” The little girl giggled and looked down shyly. “Hey, Soph, why don’t you go join the boys? You want to have a little more time to play with them before Tootles has to leave, right?”

Sophie nodded and ran off, but not before waving at Regina.

“You really made an impression on her,” Brenna said. She moved slightly to her left on the bench, making more room. “Join me?”

“Thank you.” Regina sat next to her, looking out at where Sophie had joined the boys in a friendly game of tag. “I’m not sure how I did anything to garner any special attention. I only saw her for a moment when we met.”

“It doesn’t matter,” Brenna told her. “Sophie is a very special little girl. She’s always been very sensitive about other people. She probably sensed something about you being a mother. Anyway, she hasn’t stopped talking about you since the day you came to our house.”

Regina looked down at her lap, studying her hands uncomfortably. Hands that had brought so much pain to so many people; ripping out hearts, drawing magic, commanding armies. What was it about her that had drawn children to her ever since the curse had broken, when they should have been running in fear? Was it possible that they had seen something in her that she herself hadn’t yet discovered? The desire to change, perhaps, or the fact that she’d never wanted to become what she had in the first place? The sound of laughter brought her eyes back up to see Tootles and Sophie hiding behind another bench not too far off. They both looked over at the same time and smiled, waving, before running off again after being discovered.

“I can almost pretend that this is normal,” Brenna said. Her attention had been drawn by the children as well.

Regina looked at her curiously. “What do you mean?”

“All of this; them. Seeing my girls play tag with these other children, I can almost forget that they’re characters from books I read to my children every night, or that an hour ago, I found out my husband wasn’t who he said he was. You should know; you’re the one who came to tell him about his father, weren’t you? To ask for his help?”

“I was,” Regina acknowledged slowly. “And I’m sorry that I had to do that to your family.”

“No,” Brenna told her. “Don’t be. Brian needed to fix things with his father. Our whole marriage, he’s been happy, but I could always tell that there was something missing, you know? I always assumed it had something to do with his childhood or his parents, but I never imagined it would be something like this. I guess I just wasn’t ready. How can _anyone_ ever be ready for something like this?”

"I don't know," Regina said quietly. "I suppose you just have to decide what's important to you."

Brenna shook her head. “That doesn’t change the fact that something seemingly impossible has happened to turn my life upside down. Why would that make any difference?”

"Because you still have so much. You have a husband and two children who obviously love you, and you still have your life with them. I won't pretend to know what it's like to find out that something you believed to be true your whole life ends up being something different, but I do know what it's like to find yourself in an entirely different life; one you never planned on living, and maybe even one you never wanted. And I know how hard it is to go through something like that alone. But you're not alone. You have your family, and if you let them, I'm sure they can help you adapt. It's scary, but it doesn't have to stay that way."  
  
"But how do I deal with the fact that my husband's lied to me – the entire time he's known me?" She sighed and wiped away a tear of frustration, smiling wryly. "I'm sorry. We just met and I'm unloading all of this on you."  
  
"It's alright, I don't mind. I feel just as responsible for all of this. You know, he probably didn't tell you because he was afraid you wouldn't have believed him."  
  
Brenna was silent, thinking about the truth of the statement. She knew she wouldn't have believed him if he'd told her.  
  
"Besides, I wouldn't be too angry with him. He had a difficult childhood; his father is not the most...stable a person can be. I imagine that much of his not telling you actually stems from him wanting to forget that that part of his life even existed."  
  
Brenna looked up at Regina. "That's exactly what he said."  
  
"You see. He loves you, and nothing he did was to hurt you. He thought you'd never find out, and in all likelihood, you wouldn't have if I hadn't come to him for help. Our world isn't as much of a fairytale as the people of this world believe it to be." Her tone darkened, as did her expression, and Brenna didn't fail to notice. “There are those who’d rather forget _that_ life existed; a chance at a fresh start in another world is an appealing notion. It would be so much easier to pretend that none of it ever happened.”

“Like you?”

Regina turned to her, a question in her eyes.

“It seems like you’re among those who’d rather have a fresh start.” Brenna noted.

Letting out a darkly amused laugh, Regina nodded, looking ahead of her. “Dear, you have no idea.”

Brenna watched as Regina stared out into nothingness, deep in thought, and obviously far away. She wondered who Regina had been in the other world; what fairytale character identity belonged to her. Just as she was wondering how to go about asking, Sophie approached slowly, Tootles not far behind.

Instead of the unbridled excitement the girl had exhibited earlier, she appeared curiously cautious now. She stopped a good few steps away from Regina, just out of arms reach. “Is it true?” she asked quietly. “Are you really the…”she looked around, as if afraid that anyone might be listening, and whispered, “…the Evil Queen?”

Regina’s focus snapped back to the present and she looked down at the young child sadly. “I am.”

Sophie took a step sideways, closer to her mother, a look of fear coming over her face.

“It’s okay,” Tootles told her, stepping forward. “I told you – she _used_ to be the Evil Queen. She isn’t anymore. Now she’s my mommy.”

Regina smiled – a small smile, but a warm one – and Tootles crossed the rest of the way to her, climbing onto the bench where she pulled him into her lap. He settled back into her and looked down at Sophie. “You don’t have to be afraid of mommy – she’s not evil. She’s like she used to be when she came to Neverland. She takes care of me and she loves me and she doesn’t hurt anyone.”

Sophie still remained cautious, but she moved in more closely so she could lean against her mother’s legs as she continued to look at Regina.

Brenna couldn’t believe it as she looked at Regina. It was no wonder the woman had said she wanted a fresh start in this world – she had been the one to cast the curse that brought the fairytales into the world in the first place. At least, that’s how Brian had explained it to her. She looked down at her daughter, running a hand through her hair comfortingly. Snow White had always been Sophie’s favorite story, and for her to find out that the woman she’d been so enamored with was the villain she’d always feared must be frightening. She didn’t say anything, however. She hadn’t known Regina for more than a few minutes, but it was enough to tell that she had nothing to fear from the woman. Whoever she’d been, whatever she’d done in the past, it wasn’t who she was anymore. In fact, Brenna found she rather liked the woman. Seeing the cute little boy wrapped lovingly in her arms, looking completely at ease, only confirmed her belief that this woman would never do anything to hurt her daughter.

“Do you hate Snow White?” Sophie finally asked.

Regina smiled at her and shook her head. “No. She and I had many misunderstandings, but all of our problems are in the past. She’s my family and I love her.”

“You do?” Sophie smiled shyly, face brightening again, and Regina nodded. “Are you _her_ mommy, too?”

Regina chuckled. “Well, Snow’s a little old for a mommy, but I will always make sure that she is safe and help her when she needs it.” She looked up when she saw Neal making his way over to them with his hand on Henry’s shoulder. “Here comes your brother,” she said to Tootles. “Why don’t you go say goodbye to the boys for now?”

“Okay,” the boy nodded, sliding off of her lap. “Bye, Sophie,” he said, waving before running off.

“Bye, Tootles.”

Brenna stood. “Well, I suppose I should be getting back to my husband.” She called for Claire to join them. “It was nice to meet you, Regina. Thank you for the advice. And for the insight,” she added sincerely. “I hope I’ll see you again?” She tilted her head in question.

Regina nodded, surprised by Brenna’s pleasantness despite having just learned the truth about her. “I hope so, too.” She was caught off guard when Sophie moved quickly up onto the bench and wrapped her arms around her neck in a loose hug.

“I’m glad you’re good now,” the little girl whispered into her ear. Just as quickly, she pulled back and stepped down, taking her mother’s hand as Claire stepped up next to them.

Regina smiled. “So am I.”

Sophie beamed and Brenna looked down between her two children. “Come on, girls. Let’s go see your father.” She took Claire’s hand as well, and smiled at Neal and Henry as they passed.

It wasn’t hard for Regina to guess that Neal had decided to tell Henry the truth. Her son looked conflicted, and when Regina stood to greet them, he practically launched himself at her, wrapping his arms firmly around her waist as he buried his head into her chest.

She raised her arms to place them around him, rubbing his back and she kissed the top of his head. “It’ll be okay,” she told him. She looked at Neal who gave her a small nod.

“I’ll see you soon, Henry,” he said, turning to leave.

Henry pulled back for a second to look at his newly discovered father. “Neal?”

“Yeah?”

“Can we hang out again soon?”

Neal smiled brightly. “Of course, buddy. That sounds great.”

As Neal went to join the Lost Boys, Henry returned to his mother’s arms. “Emma lied to me,” he said simply.

“She wanted to protect you, Henry.”

“That’s what everyone says when they lie.”

“But it’s true.”

“I like Neal. We had a lot of fun today. Why would Emma need to protect me from him?”

“That’s something you should ask her, Henry, but I promise you that she had reasons that she felt were good. I didn’t like the idea of him telling you the truth, either, but you deserved to know.”

“Yeah, but I thought Emma was different,” Henry whispered, wrapping his arms around her more tightly.

“She’s still a good person and a good mother. That hasn’t changed. Promise me you won’t be too angry with her when you see her again?”

Henry looked up at her and she lifted a hand to brush across his cheek gently. He finally nodded.

“Good. Let’s get Tootles and go home, okay? There’s something else I need to talk to you about.”

Nodding, he let go with one hand, stepping so that he could walk next to her, but still be tucked into her side. She held him tightly, cherishing the moment. Annie was off in another world, facing danger and trying to save the world, she and Daniel would be leaving soon to ask the council for help, and Cora was still a lingering threat to everything she held dear, but right now she had her boys, and that was something she wasn’t going to take for granted.

* * *

“You sure you’re up to this, love?” Hook asked, stepping up beside Annie to look out over the dark water.

“I don’t have a choice,” she said quietly, but firmly.

“Oh, there’s always a choice.”

“Not this time.” Her gaze finally moved from the water to rest on him. “The harmony of the universe is at stake, but more importantly, so are the lives of the people I love. There is only one option.”

He nodded silently; that was a logic he couldn’t fault. “So what will you do when we get there?”

“I don’t know, exactly.”

“Forgive me if I’m overstepping my authority, but this seems like something you might want to have a plan for.”

“I didn’t have a plan for getting us out the first time, and that seemed to work out alright, didn’t it?”

“Mmm, but if I recall, you also collapsed from exhaustion; wouldn’t want that to happen in the middle of a fight.”

Annie let the silence stretch out between them. Somewhere in between the two halves of Neverland, the temperature had dropped significantly. She’d forgotten how cold this world had been. She hadn’t had much time to think about it then; she’d been with Regina and Daniel. But now she could feel the cold all around her and inside her, adding to the sense of dread that the colorless world already possessed in spades. She shivered and saw her breath as she exhaled.

“Do you want to know the truth?” she finally asked him.

“Only if you want to tell me.”

“I’m scared.” She looked back out over the water, far off into the distance where she could just make out the sight of the tall cliff that marked their destination. “I don’t have a plan because I don’t even know where to start. I only just found out that I have powers and I have no clue how to use them. I don’t know how I did it last time; I just _felt_ what I needed to do. But now…I don’t feel anything but fear. What if I can’t do this? What if I fail?” She shook her head. “You’re probably right in questioning me. I’m not cut out for this.”

“That’s not what I said. And I was asking to be polite, nothing more.” Turning his head to look at her, he said, “I’ve no doubt that you can do this. If Regina believes in you – and I happen to know that she does – that’s all the assurance I need. You’re a smart lass, I can tell that much, and I’ve seen what you can do. When the time comes, you’ll know what needs to be done. Just trust yourself. That’ll get you further than you’d think.”

Hook was surprised when he felt a shaking hand slip into his own. Annie hadn’t looked away from the cliff, but her hand was now resting in his.

“When we get there, don’t leave without me, okay?”

“Wouldn’t dream of it, love.”


	50. Chapter 50

Brian’s shoulders dropped as he sighed heavily in relief when he saw his wife walk through the door. He could already tell she was in a much better place than she had been when she left. She was laughing at something the girls were babbling happily about. She looked up after she shut the door behind her and caught his eye, answering his silent question with a small smile and nod; they were going to be okay.

Brian greeted both his daughters with hugs and looked up at his father when he walked in from the other room.

“Claire, Sophie, how would you girls like to join me in the living room?”

The girls looked up at their father for direction, and he smiled at them. “Yes girls, why don’t you go with your grandfather? Your mom and I will be in in a minute.” As they bounced off to the living room, Brian nodded his thanks to his father and Gold tilted his head slightly in acknowledgement. He knew the couple needed a few minutes alone to talk.

“I’m sorry.” Brian and Brenna both chuckled as they apologized at the same time. Brian motioned that she could speak first, so she continued.

“It’s overwhelming, and I’m not saying that I overreacted, because let’s be fair; how else could a person react to finding something like this out? But I didn’t _mean_ what I said. I love you, and that much hasn’t changed. It never will. So, I’m sorry, but I’m back now, and I’m not leaving again.”

Brian smiled. “And I’m sorry that I didn’t tell you. I wanted to so badly, but I didn’t know how without losing you. I’m glad you’re back.” He tilted his head. “I’m actually surprised that you’re back so soon. You were so angry when you left that I thought you might be gone for a few days, or at least overnight.”

“I might have been,” Brenna told him honestly. “But I had a little bit of help.”

“Oh?”

“Yeah. I was in the park with the girls, and I met someone. She explained things in a way that made sense to an overemotional person like me.” She smiled slightly and so did he. “She seemed to know what she was talking about, and she definitely knew what to say. I actually hope I run into her again. I enjoyed talking to her.”

“Who did you run into?” Brian asked curiously.

“Regina.”

Brian leaned his head forward, his eyes narrowing. “Brenna, I don’t think you realize who—”

“The Evil Queen, yes, I know,” Brenna interrupted him, and he was surprised. “She told me exactly who she was, but she doesn’t seem like she could be that evil anymore. Did you know she has children now? One of them is a little boy Sophie’s age. Tootles, the littlest lost boy. He’s adorable, and he calls her mommy. She saved him from Neverland.”

Brian looked at her in disbelief. “The Evil Queen has children?”

Brenna nodded. “She does. And Brian, you can tell that she loves them and that she’d never do anything to harm them. That’s why I believed her when she said that things were going to get better, and that I should trust you and come home.”

“She said all of that?”

Brenna nodded.

“Well, I’m glad.” He stepped forward and kissed her before wrapping her in his arms. “Because I need you.”

“I need you, too.” She pulled back and smiled at him. “Let’s go be with our family.”

* * *

Regina was standing just inside the doorway to Daniel's world, suddenly glued to the spot. "I shouldn't have come with you," she said for about the tenth time since they'd started their journey. "I know outsiders aren't supposed to come to this world. We're not even supposed to know where it is."

Daniel smiled at her softly. "No, but you're not an outsider Regina. You're here with me, and I don't care what anyone thinks." He looked around, distracted by the once familiar sight of his homeland. "I can't believe I'm back here," he said quietly. "It's been so long. After everything that happened, I thought I'd never see it again." He inhaled deeply, breathing in the fresh air and slightly sweet scent from the flowers on the hill not far off. Then turning back to Regina, he smiled. "I'm glad you can see this, too. It's the one part of myself that I could never share with you, and now I can." He reached out a hand to her. "Let's go talk to the council."

She smiled when she placed her hand in his. "Alright." 

They both turned to Jefferson, almost having forgotten he was there, but he simply waved his hand in slight amusement. "Go on. I'll be waiting here for you when you get back."

Regina nodded her head in acknowledgement and allowed Daniel to lead the way.

Even with the ability to magically transport from place to place, Regina wasn't prepared for the tingling sensation she felt as she instantly moved from the ground to the glass building she recognized from Annie's memories. There was no period of adjustment as the smoke cleared, and rather than the magical residue tingling from head to toe, she felt an entirely different sensation; more like stepping from a humid environment into a clear, air-conditioned room. The feeling only lasted a fraction of a second, but it had her smiling.

She only wished she could be experiencing this wonderful world under better circumstances.

A small crowd had gathered when they'd appeared in the great hall, and they were all whispering to one another as they stared at Daniel and Regina. Regina looked back nervously at all of them, still feeling like a trespasser. Daniel, however, ignored all of them. His attention was at the top of the staircase laid out before them. 

Brushing a hand across her back, he spurred her forward. "Regina," he said softly, when she seemed to be frozen in place. Her gaze snapped back to him and she nodded.

"After you."

This time, instead of reaching for her hand, he put an arm around her waist, pulling her into his side. She leaned into it, and they stayed that way until they reached the bottom of the stairs. He offered his arm and she put hers through it, allowing him to escort her to the top. It took several minutes for them to finally step onto the flat surface of the council chambers, and it looked almost exactly as it had in Annie's memories. Regina was again in awe of how beautiful it was.

The difference was the long table in the center of the room. Rather than being empty as it had been before, there was a person seated in each chair, all growing quiet when the couple stepped into their midst. 

The feeling of being studied wasn't new to Regina at all. Being the Evil Queen back in the Enchanted Forest had subjected her to the scrutinizing glares of all those not too afraid to show their faces to the Queen; or those who thought she didn't feel their stares on her back when she turned. But today was different. The stares made her feel nervous and self-conscious, not a feeling she was at all accustomed to, and she had to say she was not enjoying it at all. Part of it was due to the fact that she was no longer the woman she'd been all those years ago. She was growing more and more to love her life now that she'd let the cruel woman begin to slip away, but there were certain traits that she found she wanted to carry over into her life as Regina; the self-assured, confident, strong part of her that she'd discovered in the years after Daniel's believed death. Trying to summon some of that confidence, she straightened her posture. These were Daniel's people, and what they thought of her was important. This was where he'd come from; both he and Annie. They'd guided the siblings long before they'd ever entered Regina's life, and now, they were in a position to save Annie on her quest to put the universe back together.

"Daniel?" An older man toward the far end of the table stood, leaning into his chair as he studied the newcomers.

All of the council was looking at Daniel in disbelief, wondering if this really could be the boy they'd known all grown up and returned home after all of these years.

Daniel stepped closer to the man, studying his face, recognizing the features even if they were older than when he'd last seen him. "Dax?"

Dax laughed joyously, hurrying to round the table and embrace Daniel. Regina stepped back awkwardly as the two men patted each other on the back in a large hug. She noticed tears in Dax's eyes as he pulled back to look at Daniel. 

“How are you still alive after all of these years?” Daniel asked in amazement. “You were the same age as my parents.”

“You mean because of the curse that was cast in the other land?” Dax asked. “Is that where you ended up; why you’re still the same age you would have been all those years ago?”

Daniel nodded. “Something like that. But the curse didn’t affect this world.”

Dax looked behind him at the rest of the council. “We heard about the curse before it was cast, and we knew that the balance we were meant to keep had shifted uncontrollably. We’d failed at our jobs, but our numbers were so depleted after the war that we couldn’t risk the few people we had left to set it right – had we even known what to do to fix it. We also knew that we would need to live long enough to ensure everything was eventually put back into place, but how with a curse that froze time for those who had so much to do with why our universe had shifted? So we called upon friends of a far-off world, and they supplied us with an herb from their land that enables us to live as long as we need to see this through.” He looked at Brian and smiled gently. "I can’t believe you are here. Everyone thought you'd been killed along with Porter and Adelle. The war came and we’d all given you up for dead when you didn’t return home. Annie?”

“She’s alive as well,” Daniel smiled, but it faded quickly. “But she is the reason we are here now. She needs your help.” He gestured at Regina and waved her forward when he realized she’d moved so far back. Reaching for her hand, he realized it was shaking as he took it into his own, so he gave it a reassuring squeeze. “This is Regina; the woman who cast the curse in the other land, and the woman I love.” The council looked shocked and some of them began to stand, but Daniel waved at them to remain seated. “There is much to tell you all, but you will understand everything once we have. We’ve come to finally restore the balance.”

* * *

The winding path up to the top of the cliff was steep and narrow - much more terrifying than even jumping off of it had been. Some of that had most likely come from the fact that she hadn't had time to think about it when she jumped. She'd been focused only on finding Regina. This time, she had the whole hike up to think about what she was doing, where she was going, and how she was getting there. 

Annie cried out as she stepped on a loose section of rock and lost her balance. She reached desperately to grip the wall to keep from falling, but she needn't have worried; a split second after she'd slipped, a strong arm steadied her.

"Careful, love. Wouldn't want to have to start from the bottom again."

Annie smiled at him gratefully and nodded. "Thank you," she said, recovering from the sudden panic that had gripped her.

They'd been on this path for what felt like hours now, but they were nearly to the top. Hook had told the crew to stay behind on the ship, saying there was no reason for any of them to come along. Really, Annie was the only one who needed to make the journey, but Hook could tell she wouldn't mind company to keep her distracted. Not that it was working. He knew that there wasn't much to do to distract her from the challenge she would soon be facing, but he got the feeling she appreciated the company all the same.

As if she was reading his thoughts, Annie broke the silence only moments later with, "Thank you for coming with me. I know you didn't have to. In fact, it would have been much safer for you if you hadn't."

"I'm not worried," he told her confidently. "I've no doubt that you'll be able to handle whatever is waiting for us at the top. We'll be back in Storybrooke before you know it."

"I wish I was as confident as you are," Annie said, focusing on the path before her; she didn't want to slip again. She chanced a quick look up to the top of the cliff. "I'm not even sure what it is that's waiting for us. I don't think Scheherazade knew, either."

"How do you figure?"

"I just imagine that she would have told me more if she'd known it."

"Maybe she thinks that you'll do better without any further knowledge of what's to come."

"How can going into this situation without information be better?"

"The future is a slippery concept. It comes in tiny little pieces that you have to put together, and you never get the full picture. Sometimes, knowing what's to come holds you back from doing what's necessary. You spend too much time analyzing the choices leading to the result, and in the end, you might wind up changing the outcome. Scheherazade is a wise woman. You should trust that she's doing what she thinks is best. She's gotten you this far, hasn't she? And just think - this moment has been hundreds of years in the making."

Annie laughed nervously. "I thought you were supposed to be making me feel better."

She couldn't see it, but she knew by the sound of Hook's voice that he was smiling. "It sounds like a lot, but it _should_ make you feel better. She's known what was to come for much longer than you've been alive. If she doubted for a second that you'd be able to bring this balance, she wouldn't have sent you. She had centuries to find ways to fix what her sister had done, but this was the path she chose. She chose you because she knows you can do what no one else can. In her eyes, this was something you were born to do." 

They walked again in silence until Hook nearly ran into Annie when she stopped abruptly. Looking up from her, he saw that they'd reached the top. A few more steps and they'd be visible to anyone standing above.

She turned to him. "You don't have to come any further," she told him quietly, suddenly finding it hard to breathe.

"Nonsense. I didn't walk all this way just to stand back and watch. I'm coming with you."

Annie gave him a tight smile.  She took a deep breath before walking the short distance. She felt her stomach drop in fearful anticipation, but when the top came into view, she found something she hadn't been expecting; the land was flat, seemed to stretch on forever, and most noticeably, was empty. There wasn't a soul in sight.


	51. Chapter 51

“I don’t understand,” Annie said, turning around to look at Hook. “There’s no one here. She had to know I was coming.”

“Maybe she’s hiding?” he suggested, but Annie’s doubts were reflected in his voice.

“Or waiting.” She sat down on the ground. “I don’t know why I expected that she’d just be standing here. She’d want to make this as difficult as possible.”

At first, Hook thought that Annie’s sitting down was a gesture of defeat, and that he’d have to talk her back up, but it became clear a moment later that this wasn’t the case. Instead of hunching her shoulders and burying her head in her hands, she straightened her back and closed her eyes.

Annie quieted her mind, ridding herself of all the doubts and fears that had been clouding her thoughts since the moment she’d been told to come here. She was here now, and no amount of complaining or stalling would change what she needed to do; it was time to focus. She reached out with her senses, tapping into the part of her that had sensed when Cora had entered their world just before Regina cast the curse for the second time. It hadn’t been intentional then, but she needed to do it again now. She was being played with, and her abilities were her advantage in this situation. It took a moment, but finally, she felt it; a dark presence, one that felt cold even in her mind when she brushed up against it. She couldn’t see anything, but she could feel which direction she needed to go. She stood, opening her eyes, and began to walk. It was strange at first, like her mind was fighting her decision to move forward. Rather than a pull toward her destination, she felt more that her mind sensed a danger it was trying to repel her from. The further she walked, the stronger the sense became, and she struggled to move forward. More and more of her senses became active and she could now hear something. It was faint, but she could make out the miserable cries of people trapped in this world. She knew now where she needed to go, and she worked to push through the resistance her mind was putting up.

Annie wasn’t sure how long she walked, but she could feel herself growing closer. Eventually, she could see a wall in the distance. It was black, and Annie realized the reason she hadn’t seen it from the edge of the cliff. With its dark color, it blended into the rest of the landscape. It wasn’t until she’d reached the wall that she saw there was a door. It was the same color as the rest of the wall, the only thing making it visible being the thin lines of the edges.

The door opened inward, but physically opening it was the only way you could tell it had been done. The inside was just as black as the wall and door itself.

“Wait!”

Annie turned to see Hook standing close behind her, eyeing the darkness warily. “You can’t be expected to go in there without seeing.”

“I have to. She’s in there, I can feel it.”

“At least let me go first.”

Annie wouldn’t have allowed it, but she had a sneaking suspicion of what would happen. There was a reason Scheherazade believed she’d be the only one to rival her sister; not just because of her power, but because of her abilities as a traveler as well. There also had to be a reason her brother had been asked to seek out the other travelers after their years of seclusion. She knew what would happen even before Hook stepped toward the door.

He took another step, but it was as if he’d walked into a wall. Even though he was standing in the doorway, he couldn’t pass through, and he slammed a fist against what looked like open air.

“It’s blocked!”

“No,” Annie said quietly. “It’s guarded. There are some barriers that only travelers and people born of the world can pass through. I go the rest of the way alone. That’s why she did this.”

Tentatively, she put a hand forward, and unlike Hook’s, it passed through. She pulled it back out and looked at him. “Go back to your ship, Captain. This isn’t your fight.”

“I’m not leaving,” he said stubbornly.

She smiled. “You could stay, but it wouldn’t do me any good. If you want to help, you can go back to your ship and make sure that it’s ready. I can’t imagine I’ll want to stick around when I’m finished with whatever it is I’m doing.”

“You sure, love?”

“I’m sure.” She didn’t tell him that she wasn’t sure she’d be coming back out. Scheherazade had thought it would take the travelers to retrieve her, and that couldn’t mean anything good. But she smiled at Hook anyway. “Thank you, again.” She leaned forward and hugged him tightly, kissing his cheek as she pulled back. When she put a hand up to his face, she felt the strength she needed to face what was coming. She had to win this fight if she was ever going to see him again.

Sensing her thoughts, he put his own hand up to cover hers. “Don’t be long.”

He let her go and stepped back when she moved into the doorway again. She was glad of the thoughts of Hook, Regina, Daniel, Henry, Tootles; all of the people she wanted to see again. It brought a warmth to rival the chill that swept through her when the door suddenly slammed shut behind her and she was enveloped in darkness.

Annie searched for the handle of the door, testing it when she finally found it, but it was locked. It didn’t even budge when she shook it. Just as she’d suspected, Annie was cut off from the rest of the world now, and no one but the travelers would have any hope of getting to her. She was alone for now, and she laid her hand against the wall, using it to guide her as she walked.

It felt like hours of twisting and turning in what must have been hallways, but there was no sense of time in this place of complete darkness.

She sensed it before she heard it; she was no longer alone.

“Hello, Annie.”

It echoed all around her and she couldn’t tell which direction the voice originated from. The wave of panic that had washed over her was blocking her from her abilities.

“What do you want?” Annie asked, trying to hide the shaking of her voice.

“You.”

Annie jumped. This time the voice was whispered, and it was right in her ear. She whimpered when she felt a cold hand caress her cheek.

“Didn’t my sister tell you? You are the only remaining obstacle in my path. Once you’re gone, we can expand the Underworld just as my husband wanted it. We’ll no longer be trapped in one place.”

“Your husband?” Annie pulled away from the touch, unnerved that the woman could apparently see her when Annie herself couldn’t see anything. “Who are you?”

“My, my. You mean my sister didn’t even introduce me? How rude.” The woman actually sounded somewhat offended for a moment. “But then, I always was the black sheep of the family. After my marriage, that was. Scheherazade was the only one who ever even spoke to me. Wanted to see the good in me, I suppose; trying to save me. I’m Persephone. I’m sure you’ve heard of my husband—”

“Hades,” Annie breathed, interrupting her.

“Ahh, so you _have_ heard of me.”

“Yes,” Annie said, trying to look in the direction she thought Persephone was standing.

“You know,” Persephone said with dark amusement, “we were almost family. I’ve heard that your dear brother nearly married Regina.”

Annie’s head whipped around; the voice now seemed to come from the other side. “What do you mean, family?” she asked, not bothering to hide the venom in her voice.

“My dear sister seems like an innocent do-gooder, but she, too, lies.”

Annie shivered when she felt a finger trace from shoulder to shoulder as Persephone walked behind her.

“What are you talking about?”

“My poor sister thought that she could bring me back home after I was swept away by Hades. Of course, back then, I hadn’t seen the wonder that Hades could bring to the world; I didn’t understand it. I suppose Scheherazade saw that lack of understanding as fear and a desire to return to my family. She made an effort to follow me, and for hundreds of years, she and I continued together on our paths, keeping the so-called balance of the universe. But my husband eventually opened my eyes to everything that could be ours; the wonders of the universe that I hadn’t been able to see before. I tried to share that knowledge with Scheherazade, but she told me I’d been cursed. Instead, Hades cursed her. If she wouldn’t see the greatness my husband planned for all of the worlds, her children would. They’d be tempted by darkness again and again throughout the generations, until eventually, they’d succumb completely, and Scheherazade would be forced to watch. It was the last thing he was able to do before my family locked him up.”

“I still don’t understand.”

“My sister shielded you from my view. She knew you would come into the lives of her family and change their path, but I didn’t. I couldn’t anticipate for the disruption you would become.”

“Regina?” Annie asked, the pieces starting to come together.

“Well, many others, but it was Regina’s path you ultimately changed, yes. Her mother was named for me, you know.” Annie still couldn’t see her, but she could hear the smirk that Persephone was wearing in her tone. “Cora; my name in childhood. My sister always was sentimental. She passed that name down through the centuries.”

“Regina’s family is cursed?” Annie asked. It made sense – the unfortunate events that seemed to occur endlessly in Regina’s life was starting to make sense. It wasn’t fate being cruel; it was a curse. But it was true that when Annie and Daniel had entered her life, for a time they’d been happy. And even more recently, when Annie and Regina had once again found each other, Regina had managed to eradicate the darkness that had followed her for most of her life. She’d found it in herself to simply love.

And that was it. It was an answer that should have been obvious to Annie from the beginning, but she hadn’t seen it. For years, Regina had been instructed to believe that love was weakness; something her mother had most likely been taught as well. It was their unwillingness to love that kept them from light. It was also something that Annie knew she possessed as a strength greater than that of most people. It was the gift her parents had given her at the time of their death.

There was silence now, but Annie needed to know where Persephone was. “Why are you telling me all of this?”

“Because I thought it would be fun to explain it all to you,” she said, her voice drawing closer, “before I kill you.”

The last part was once again a whisper in her ear, meant to intimidate, but it gave Annie exactly what she needed. She spun around in the direction of the voice, reaching out in the darkness.

Persephone didn’t have the chance to move away this time before Annie had wrapped her arms around her.

Annie held her tightly as the woman struggled, trying to concentrate through the effort of keeping her from escaping. She thought of that love that her parents had given her, the magic that had washed over her at the feeling of it. She thought of her family, both of blood and those she’d come to love just as much in the time since. She thought of the times it had saved her throughout her life, keeping her strong when most people would have given up. She thought of home; Regina and Daniel. She even thought of Scheherazade, the woman who’d been connected with Regina in more ways than she’d imagined. Yes, she’d lied, but in this moment, Annie somehow understood that part of the power of love was in the sudden realization of it; the feeling itself spreading through you. Being told would never have given her the strength she now possessed.

Taking all of the love she could gather, Annie directed it at the woman in her arms. Persephone had started out as a child of pure goodness; she knew that much from the stories. She’d been sweet, innocent and beautiful. It was Hades that had corrupted her and cursed her, just as Scheherazade had suspected.

It was obvious the moment the curse was broken. It wasn’t a gentle process like the breaking of the dark curse, or waking someone from the sleeping curse. This curse was far darker and rather than disintegrating into nothingness, it shattered like glass.

Annie cried out as she felt stabs of pain rain down on her. Each point contained a seemingly endless amount of grief, pain, evil. Her cries turned to screams as she could feel those emotions fighting to get inside her. Through her agony, she could feel that the ground was shaking, a low rumbling spreading through the space. Cracks appeared in the ceiling and shafts of light spliced through the darkness, illuminating an unconscious Persephone sprawled on the ground not far from her.

She could also see the shadows dancing around her; remnants of the curse. They flew at her, attacking her ruthlessly, and she could feel the strength draining from her after each impact. She didn’t think she could last very much longer. Putting her arms around her head to protect herself, she heard the voices of her family in her head. “ _The power will now fall to you,”_ came the voice of her father once again, and for the second time in her life, she felt the flood of sunshine spread through her. The last thing she heard was the voice of her mother. “ _Always remember; we love you.”_

Annie didn’t see the explosion of gold light that flooded everything, destroying the shadows and shattering the remaining walls around her. She lay unconscious and barely alive next to Persephone, unaware that she’d finally broken a centuries-old curse.


	52. Chapter 52

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's the final chapter. Thanks to everyone who read this little series, it means a lot to me!

Annie opened her eyes slowly. Her eyelids felt heavy. In fact, everything felt heavy. It was difficult to breathe, to swallow, and she was having a hard time focusing now that her eyes were open. Everything was so bright. She squinted, trying to bring something…anything… into clear view.

She felt a sudden pain in her throat and for a moment, there was a sweet darkness shielding her from the blinding whiteness of everything beyond. Then the immediate pain disappeared, but a remaining soreness had her reaching up to place a hand against her throat as she shut her eyes tightly to block out the light that had returned.

“Annie?”

It was the first sound Annie was aware of and though she couldn’t place the direction it was coming from, the voice comforted her. She would recognize it anywhere – Regina. Wanting more than anything to see her family, she opened her eyes again, searching for a familiar face.

It took a few seconds for the brightness to finally fade into recognizable shapes, but when she turned her head to the side, it wasn’t Regina’s face looking back at her, it was Cora’s.

Annie jerked back, screaming, but the screams came out as strangled cries that ripped through her throat painfully, so she stopped immediately. Instead she allowed herself to cry, a mixture of pain, fear and confusion.

But then Regina’s soothing voice was back, and this time, there were comforting arms to go with it. “It’s okay, Annie. It’s alright, you’re safe. Everything will be okay.”

Still trying to figure out what was happening, Annie managed to turn, finding Regina seated on the edge of the bed she was in. She’d moved to wrap her arms around Annie in an attempt to calm her, and it was working, but Annie’s head was swimming. It only confused her further when Regina looked up to Cora, who had stood from her chair.

“I’m sorry. Mother, could you—”

“I’ll go get Daniel,” Cora said softly.

“Thank you.” Regina turned back to Annie as soon as the door had shut. “I’m so glad you’re awake!” She wiped tears from her face, and Annie noticed she still had Daniel’s ring on.

Looking around, Annie realized that she was in a hospital room and she struggled to remember what was happening. Had she fallen? But then why did her throat hurt so much? She reached a hand up again to grasp it and then remembered Cora. Why had Cora been in her room? And why wasn’t Regina panicking about it? There was something else tugging at her mind, but trying to figure out why Cora was there and not in a jail cell was keeping her from remembering anything else.

“What happened?” Her voice came out raspy and choked-sounding, and tears sprang to her eyes at the pain it brought.

“Shhh, don’t talk.” Regina brushed Annie’s hair back out of her face and tucked it gently behind her ear. “You’ll hurt your throat. You’ve been in a coma for…well, it’s been a little over a month now.”

Annie sat up immediately, ready to protest when Regina shook her head. “Take it easy, sweetheart. I don’t want you to hurt yourself. Your throat hurts because Dr. Whale removed the feeding tube when you were waking up. Don’t you remember?”

Annie shook her head, fresh tears coming because of confusion this time.

Regina pulled her close and leaned back, pulling her legs up onto the bed as Annie curled into her side.

“You saved all of us, Annie.”

Looking up at Regina in confusion, it was clear Annie didn’t know what she was talking about.

“Hook took you to Neverland, and you faced Persephone,” Regina explained. “You saved her and everyone else. You broke the curse my family didn’t even know existed. Scheherazade explained everything to us when we got back. Oh, honey, Daniel and I were so scared! Daniel was with the council members looking for you and I was waiting with Killian when the world started tearing itself apart. But then there was this blinding flash of gold light, and a deafening noise to go with it, and we knew it was you; you’d managed to destroy the evil that had taken root. And then Daniel came with you in his arms, and you were so cold and lifeless; I thought for sure you were dead. But you weren’t. We brought you back home, but you’ve been in a coma until today.” She sniffed to hold back more tears and pulled Annie closer. “We’ve been waiting for you,” she whispered.

Daniel entered then, the hope on his face morphing immediately into joy when he caught sight of Annie, wrapped in Regina’s arms with her eyes open, looking back at him.

“You’re really awake!” He moved quickly across the room, pulling them both into a hug and kissing Annie’s forehead.

Annie smiled brightly at him, but then her attention was caught by Cora, hovering uncertainly in the doorway.

Daniel saw where she was looking and said, “It’s okay. She was under the same curse as Persephone. She’s not the same Cora you remember, Annie. She has her heart back; her ability to love.”

“I’m sorry,” Cora told her, taking a hesitant step into the room. “I know that doesn’t change the fact that I tore your family apart, or that I sent you away, but I’m truly, truly sorry. I only hope that someday I can make it up to you and you’ll be able to forgive me.”

Annie nodded slowly and allowed a small smile; one that Cora returned immediately. Daniel started to stand up, when Annie suddenly grabbed his left hand, pulling it toward her and examining the ring that now circled his ring finger. She looked between him and Regina quickly. “You’re married?” she whispered, and coughed a few times as a result.

“Not quite yet,” Daniel laughed. He smiled at Regina.

“We wanted to wait until you woke up,” she finished. “We couldn’t do it without you.”

“Alright, it’s time for rest,” Dr. Whale said, stepping into the room. “It’s late and she needs to get her strength back.”

“But she just woke up. Can’t Daniel at least stay with her?” Regina pleaded.

“I don’t imagine that would be a problem,” he agreed. “As long as you don’t excite her too much. She really does need her rest,” he told Daniel pointedly.

“I promise I won’t.”

“Okay, then.”

Regina stood up and bent to kiss Annie’s forehead. “I’ll be back tomorrow. Henry and Tootles will be so excited to hear you’re awake!” She paused in the doorway for one last smile before she was gone.

When Dr. Whale had exited the room as well, Annie looked at Daniel. “A month?” she whispered, and Daniel nodded.

“People will be happy to hear that you’re awake. Killian especially, though I’m not sure how I feel about that,” he said, raising an eyebrow.

She smiled, hearing the teasing tone even behind the brotherly concern.

“He’s been coming by as often as Whale will let him to check on you. Everyone’s been coming by, though.”

Annie settled back into her pillow with a smile, growing tired even though she’d just woken from a month of sleeping. “Tell me about them,” she whispered quietly. “I missed a lot.”

She let herself relax as Daniel filled her in on everything that had been happening in the town while she’d been asleep. Persephone had been reunited with her sister; a happy reunion that had been centuries overdue. Tootles had started calling Daniel Daddy, much to his and Regina’s delight. Jefferson and Regina had mended their friendship and were gradually building it back up to what it once had been. Regina had been asked to resume her position as mayor, which she’d agreed to do once Annie was better; the family had been spending the majority of their free time in Annie’s hospital room, waiting for her to wake up. Cora was doing everything she could to make up for the years of suffering she’d caused Regina and Daniel. The lifting of the curse had changed her completely, and Daniel had to admit, she now made a wonderful addition to their family. Emma had started seeing August again, which had Annie smiling. It was slow-going, but it was going well, and they both seemed happy. Ruby and Graham were dating now and Annie chuckled, causing another small coughing fit. Even Brian and his family had decided to stay in town a bit longer. In fact, Brenna and Regina had become fast friends and Daniel suspected they’d end up moving to Storybrooke permanently.

“And of course,” Daniel smiled, “Regina and I are getting married as soon as you’re better, so you’d better hurry up.”

Annie laughed again, but found it didn’t hurt as much this time.

“The council of our home world also wants us to meet with them once you’re well, but they said there’s no rush.” He smiled widely. “Things are finally the way they’re supposed to be,” he told her, “and it’s all thanks to you.” He settled back as Regina had. “Now get some rest,” he told her. “You’ll have a lot of visitors tomorrow, I’m sure.”

She nodded and found that it was rather easy to fall asleep with the knowledge that it had worked; everyone was home and safe, and balance had finally been restored.

* * *

Daniel hurried after Annie early the next morning, glancing behind him as she walked across the parking lot of the hospital.

“Annie! Annie – don’t you think you should at least tell them you’re leaving?”

Annie smiled over her shoulder at him. “Worried we’re going to get caught, are we?” She turned back to face front as she pulled her hair into a ponytail. “If I told them I was leaving, they wouldn’t let me go.”

“Well maybe that would be for the best. You only woke up eight hours ago.”

“Yes, but I already told you – whatever healing abilities I had in childhood must have kicked in once I woke up. I feel fine. Perfect, actually.”

“But what if there’s still something you don’t know about? Aftereffects or—”

“Would you stop worrying so much?” Annie laughed. “I’m fine, Daniel. I promise.” She stopped and looked around. “Do you drive? More importantly, do you have a car here?”

Daniel narrowed his eyes at her and she put her hands on her hips.

“Daniel, you’re being ridiculous. I. Am. Fine. Now give me the keys.” She held her hand out and smirked when he finally shook his head at her and pulled the keys from his pocket, dropping them into her palm.

“You can tell you’ve spent the last twenty-eight years with Regina. You’re both so terribly stubborn.”

Annie smiled. “I’ll take that as a compliment.”

They made a quick stop at the coffee shop and then it was off to the mansion.

Annie didn’t bother to ring the doorbell when she found the door was unlocked. Daniel walked in behind her and closed the door while she kicked off her shoes and followed the sound of voices into the kitchen.

“Annie!” Tootles was the first to notice her and he abandoned his cereal to hug her legs. She ran a hand through his hair before giving Henry a sideways hug when he approached.

“Hey, guys!”

“What are you doing out of the hospital?” Regina asked, glancing at Daniel who was standing behind her. He shrugged his shoulders at her.

“Well it’s almost nine,” Annie told her casually, pulling one of the coffees out of the carrier as she set it on the counter. “I brought you your morning coffee, Madame Mayor.” She grinned and Regina let out a laugh.

She took the coffee from her, setting it down with the others before she wrapped her arms around Annie, pulling her in tightly. “I love you so much,” she whispered into her ear.

Resting her head on her shoulder, Annie closed her eyes. “I love you, too.”

“Alright,” Regina said, finally stepping back. “Now tell me, what are you doing out of the hospital?” She was back to her commanding tone, though she was pulling out an open chair for Annie at the table as she asked.

Annie shrugged. “You know. A Rapunzel thing. Self-healing and the like.” She winked at Henry as she sat across from him and Daniel joined them as well.

“Rapunzel thing?” Cora asked from Tootles’ side.

“It’s a long story, grandma,” Henry told her. “I’ll tell you after breakfast.”

“Annie?” Tootles asked. “Some of the other Lost Boys told me you’re Captain Hook’s girlfriend. Is that true?”

Regina choked on her orange juice and Annie grinned. “Well, I don’t know,” Annie told him. “I’ve been asleep awhile. Did you ask him?”

“Yeah, but he said I should ask you.”

“Would you like some toast?” Daniel suddenly asked, thrusting the plate awkwardly at Annie, causing her to laugh at him.

Regina shook her head, chuckling. “I’m going to have to teach you the art of subtlety, dear. It’s especially helpful in these situations, and you’ll need the practice for when the baby comes.” She calmly took a small bite of eggs as everyone around the table stopped to process what she’d said.

“You…you’re pregnant?” Daniel asked, looking across the table at her.

The corners of Regina’s mouth lifted in a smile and she nodded.

“We’re going to have a baby?” he asked excitedly as he stood from the table.

She laughed, now grinning fully. “Yes.”

Breakfast was abandoned as everyone stood up again, taking turns to embrace Regina and all talking at once. Tootles danced around happily and Henry high-fived him, both of them talking excitedly about another sibling. Annie hugged both her brother and Regina and stepped back to stand next to Cora, who was beaming at her daughter, watching Daniel place his hands on Regina’s still-flat stomach.

“It’s good to be home,” Cora said. She looked meaningfully at Annie. “I’m sorry it took so long. This is what you should have had before; all of you.”

Annie looked around at her family, Henry and Tootles especially, and smiled. “It wouldn’t have been the same. This is perfect.”

Regina caught her eye and smiled at her, gesturing her over again.

“You know Henry’s going to make sure the whole town knows by the end of the day?” Annie asked, smiling.

“Yes, well, I was just waiting for the right time to tell everyone, and this seemed to be it. I don’t care who knows, now.” She brushed the bangs out of Annie’s face, lovingly. “What do you say?” she asked everyone. “Should we finish breakfast?”

“I’m too excited to eat!” Tootles whined.

“Well, I haven’t eaten real food in a month,” Annie said, poking his stomach and making him giggle. “So I, for one, am hungry.”

“And I have to eat for two now,” Regina told him, shuffling him back to his chair.

Regina watched happily as everyone sat back around the table, only settling down enough to take bites between their conversations.

It had taken pain, loss, decades of darkness and misguided actions, but Regina had finally found her way back; her happiness. This was all she’d ever wanted.


End file.
